
Tlii 







CRUISE 



!. S. S. ' POWHATAN 



u 



THROUGH THE WEST INDIES. 



JANUARY-JUNE, 1885. 



NCLUDING THE SIEGE OF CARTHAGENA AND THE 
BURNING OF ASPINWALL, 



By STEPHEN RYAN. 






NEW YORK: 
Press of Rich. G. Hollaman, 73 and 75 Fulton Street. 

1885. 



& 




DEDICATION 

TO THE 

OFFICERS -A. IT 3D Tv£ E 1ST 

OF THE 

U.S.S. "POWHATAN." 



I have written this little book for your amusement and the 
amusement and information of your friends at home. 

If the perusal of this account of our West Indian cruise, and of 
the siege of Carthagena be a source of pleasure to you and your 
friends, my ambition is gratified. 

I respectfully present it to you in an abridged form in prose and 
s r t greater length in verse, and as you are aware that I had to con- 
tend with difficulties while engaged at the composition I trust that 
you will be generous in your criticism. 

I have endeavored, in these few pages, to convey as much infor- 
mation as possible and at the same time to make it amusing, and I 
h,ope that you will not consider me presumptious for undertaking 
sjich a work as I now most respectfully lay before you. 

STEPHEN RYAN. 
Brooklyn Navy Yard, August 1, 1885. 



/. 






STATISTICS OF THE U.S.S. "POWHflTM. 



The United States Ship " Powhatan " was built at the Nary Yard, 
Gosport, (commonly known as Norfolk Navy Yard) Virginia, and 
launched on February 14th, 1850, at noon. She is a paddle-wheel 
steamer, originally ship-rigged, but of late years a full bark. 

At the present time she has been in commission since February 19th, 
1872, attached most of the time to the North Atlantic squadron, but 
lately on " special service." 

Tonnage, 2,182 tons. 

Displacement, - 8,980 

Length over alJ, - 281.5 feet. 

Length between perpendicular, - - 250 " 

Beam, ------ 45 " 

Average draft of water forward, - - - 19 *' 

Average draft of water aft, - - - 20 " 

She carries on her spar deck a broadside battery of fourteen 9-inch 
guns, muzzle loaders and smooih bore; two 20-pbunders on the hur- 
ricane deck, with howitzer and gatling gun, the two latter mounted 
ffcr field service. 

|Her engines are of the kind known as "simple double inclined and 
directing acting," with an indicated horse power of 1100. The cylin- 
ders are seventy inches in diameter, with a piston stroke of ten feet. 
TJhere are four main boilers, horizontal fire-tube pattern and one 
auxiliary boiler of the old superheated type. Heating surface, 12,000 
scjmare feet : steam room, 2,980 cubic feet; capacity of coal bunkers, 
630 tons. 

(Under full speed 48 tons of coal are consumed per day; under three- 
quarter speed 33 tons. 
) Diameter of paddle wheels, 32 feet. 

( No. of arms and blades, - - - - 23. 

Breadth of blades, ... 10 feet. 

: Depth of blades, - - - - - 26 inches. 

Dip of blades at load line, - - - 5.5 feet. 

\ Weight of wheels, - - - - 97,499 lbs. 

/ Sail area, ----- 2,776 sq. yds. 

J Weight of boilers, - 315,526 lbs. 

f About 240 officers have been connected with the ship under her 
Wesent commission. Between January 1, 1881, and June 15, 1885, 
fche travelled 50,500 miles and consumed 32,000 tons of coal. 



OFFICERS AND CREW OF U. S. S. "POWHATAN: 



OFFICERS. 

Name. Rank. 

L. A. Beardslee, - - Captain. 
W. H. Brownson, Lt.-Com. & Ex. 
A. P. Nazro, Lieut. & Navigator. 



Lieutenant. 

Lt. Jr. grade. 
Ensign. 



- - Surgeon. 
P. A. Surgeon. 

PETTY 

Rate. 
Master-at-Arms. 

- Yeoman. 
Eng. 
Pay 

Apothecary. 
- Machinist. 

Boilermaker. 

Ship's Writer. 

C. B. Mate. 

- B. Mate. 

a 

■ - G. Mate. 
Carp. Mate. 

- - Armorer. 
Blacksmith. 

- S. M. Mate. 
C. Q. Master. 

- - C. F. C. 



Name. 
E. Hendee, 
W. Fitch, - 
T. Bates, 1st 
A. Tobin, - 
P. Mickley, 
T. Hall, - 
H. Venable, 
L. Martin, 
W. Wingate, 
L. Binder, 



Rank. 

Paymaster, 

Chief Engineer. 

Lieut. U.S.M.C. 

P. A. Engineer. 

it a 

Asst. Engineer. 
- Gunner. 

- - Carpenter. 
- Sailmaker. 

- - Pay Clerk. 



W. F. Low, 
W. Kilburn, 
G. H. Peters, 

A. N. Wood, 

B. C. Dent, ■ 

A. C Almy, 

B. H. Kidder, 
J. C. Byrnes, 

Name. 
J. E. Holland, 
J. K. Vaughan, • 
L. R. Powell, - 

E. V. Hickock, - 
H. Wimmer, - - 
J. D. Ross, - - 
G. W. Sands, - - 
T. F. Gallagher, - 

F. W. Jepson, - 
F. Gillespie, - - 
W. H. Whitcomb, 
T. Dempsey, 
D. Kennedy, - 
J. Patterson, - - 
W. Donovan, - 
J. G. Lapham, 
J. Gaughran, - 
H. W. Albee, - 
James Brown, - 
Thomas Collins, - - . " 
J. M. Johnson, - Qr. Master. 
F. Kircher, - - - " 
M. Scanlom, - - - " 
M. Kennedy, - - Qr. Gunner. 

RATED MEN. 

A. A. C Goetzee, - C. & Caulk. A. Austin, - - Lamptrimmer) 
C. Levith, - - - " K. Wonsouki, - - Stg. Stwdf 

W. Szillat, - - - - " W. H. Johnson, - " Cool 



OFFICERS. 

Name. 
C. Thompson, 
L P. Peterson, 
G. W. Bowen, - 
Ole Nelson, - ■ 
Peter Nagel, - 
H. Peterson, 
L. Kollmorgan, 
C. H. Jackson, 
L. Marquey, 
M. Anderson, 
J. Hines, - - 
C. Baxter, - - 
G. Marke, - - 
J. T. Graham, ■ 
M. Packard, - 
J. J. Byrnes, 
C. McMahon, - 
C. C. Pearce, 
J. Coughlin, - 
S. M. Boardway, 
John Edwards, 
A. Martin, - - 
T. Shikawa, - 
Kanikichi, - 



Rate. 

Qr. Gunner. 

a 

- Coxswain. 



- - C. of T. 

< i ■■ 

of A. Guai;'d. 

a 

- . BugLer. 

Painter. 

■ - Corporal. 

- C. of H. 

■ tc I 

- S. Cook. 

- - Barber. 

- Cabin Sd. 

■ - " 9k. 

- W. R. S. 

- W. R.iQ. 





RATED MEN. 


— CONTINUED. 




A. Erickson, - 


- - - J. of D. 


G. Lipsking, 


- W. 0. Steward, 


H. A. Brinkley, 


- - Bay man. 


0. Tomigoro, 


- " Cook. 


B. Dahmes, - 


- - W. R S. 


Moses Benrimo, Stg. " 


A. Peisler, - 


- - - W. R. C. 








SEAMEN. 




T. Murray,. 


A. Petterson, 


J. Palmquest, 


N. Doland, 


F. Day, 


P. H. Peterson, 


W. Kentle, 


D. B. Slater, 


J. W. Crowse, 


J. Gustafson, 


H. Wilkins, 


T. B. Peterson, 


H. Nelson, 


R. Kooiman, 


C. Osborne, 


A. Mitchell, 


P. Jensen, 


H. C. Neilson, 


H. Osborne, 


C. Richards, 


M. Scanlon, 


A. Christensen, 


G. Blomenthal, 


F. R, Borst, 


'(x. Maxwell, 


J. Ostensen, 


A. Larson, 


T. Eason. ' 


J. C. Branet, 


C. Mahoney, 


C. Schmett, 






ORDINARY SEAMEN. 




L. Anderson, 


F. Beaurard, 


J. McPherson, 


C. Weichert, 


M. Abel, 


T. Chandler, 


P. Nesbitt, 


P. J. Waage, 


R. Boiling. 


C. Dirtrich, 


A Pedersen, 


W. Smith, 


B. Salisbury, 


A. Edlund, 


T. H. Sloane, 


B. Cook, 


A. Bastholm, 


P. Janson, 


F. Stanislaw, 


T. Weascoat. 


F. Brandt, 


0. L. Lee, 


G. Bridge, 




T. Boyle, 


0. Wendel, 


L. Weber, 


- 




LANDSMEN. 




L. Beck, 


J. Leardie, 


W. Johnson, 


Sukai, 


J. Grear, 


W. J. Flood, 


H. Monroe 


S Kimouski, 


G. E. Gicker, 


J. Gorman, 


H. F. Kessler, 


Sataro, 


R. Harrison, 


G. H Murphy, 


M. Tobin, 


Kama Kichi, 


W. Rehbein, 


H. Hanson, 


Kisho, 


R Tenabe. 


M. Laude. 


J. Darcy, 


Himyto, 


W. H Fuller. 


H Truland, 


C. H. Jones, 


Yoshida, 


L. Berthoff. 


J. Berry. 


W. C Williams. 


G. Carroll. 




J. Jacobs. 


J. Johnson. 








WATER 


TENDERS. 




M. Grady, 


J. Doyl 


e > 


P. M. Cann. 




OILERS. 




J. Horan, 


D. Carey, 

FIRST-CLASS FIREMEN. 


F. T. S. Albee. 


C. Leary, 


G. Ufrord, 


E. Sweeney, 


M. McPhillamy, 


P. D. Nolan, 


J. Clifford, 


W. Sweeney, 


P. Eagan. 




SECOND-CLASS FIREMEN. 




W. Bocker, 


P. McLaughlin, 


F. Diederich, 


M. Nolan, 


S. Murphy, 


H. Thompson, 


T. Farley, 


F. Nelson, 


P. J. Boyle, 


M. O'Connell, 


J. Maguire, 




E. Kirk, 


J. A. Finn, 


F. Peterson, 





COALHEAVERS. 

M. J McCue, T. Moynihan, G. H. Pratt, E. F. Turbett, 

W. Baker, M. Conner, 0. Connoly, F. Austin, 

W. Murphy, G. Sheldon, P. Harrington, F. Fritz, 

J. Burns,f D. O'Brien, H. A Bachman, P. Shillue, 

L. Jefferson, J. A. Fan-ell, M. Hynes, L Geshwind. 

E J. George, J. Riley, H. Engelke, 

0. McCarthy, S. Prince, F. McGrath. 



C. E. Reefer, 1st Sergt. 

E. Veith, 

A. Cameron, Corporal. 

C. H. Broome, " 

H. V. Sherman, " 

H. Baxter, Bugler. 

J. M. Anderson, Priv't. 

P. Murphy, 

J. Montague, " 

S. Ryan, 

E Ryan, " 

T. B.'Lowrie, 



MARINES. 

P. White, Priv't, 
J. Hayes, 

M. Callaghan, " 
H. A. Stockfleth," 
A. Rennefeld, " 
J. P. Lynwood, " 
H. Connors, " 

J. C. Dougherty, '• 
W. J. Harvey, " 
J. Cornet, " 

E. Carlton, " 

H. Mead, 



J. H, Mille, Priv't. 

N. Swan. " 

T. Shea, 

P. Shea, 

J. Langon, " 

J. H. Bush, 

T. Ludlow, 

W. H. O'Connor, " 

H. P. Doherty, 

E. J. 0. Murray, " 

E. M. Steele, Bugler. 

A. J. Milstead, Drum'r. 



SEAMEN APPRENTICES — FIRST-CLASS. 



F. H Bashfoct, G. Hittinger, 
J. Clunie, 
E. S Carr, 
M. H. Cox, 
W. F. Dains, 



Chas. Lloyd, 
G. W. Jones. R, C. Marett, 
A. M. Kitchen, N H. Plimley. 
S. S. Lawrence, W. Simpson, 



S. P. Smallfield, 

F. H. Whitnev, 
W. H. Wilson; 

G. Wrightington. 



SEAMEN APPRENTICES — SECOND-CLASS. 



Geo. Dyon, 



S. Gotthardt, 



Irving Sweeney. 






9 

CRUISE OF THE 

U.S.S. "POWHATAN" THROUGH THE WEST INDIES. 

JANUARY— JUNE, 18 85, 

INCLUDING AN ACCOUNT OF THE CIVIL WAK AT 

CARTHAGENA, U. S.C., BURNING OF ASPINWALL, Etc. 

We had been lying about two months at the navy yard, Norfolk, 
Va., and had not the remotest idea of spending the Winter in the 
West Indies, or of witnessing the terrible civil war at Carthagena which 
we subsequently did. As the "Powhatan " had not been at the West 
Indies for two years, and because of the loss of the TJ, S S. "Talla- 
poosa," which vessel had been chiefly used as a freight and transport 
ship, to fill the place of which our "ship, the "Powhatan/' was well 
adapted, it was generally believed that we should be kept in the States 
during the remainder of the time our vessel should remain in com- 
mission. 

During the Christmas holidays vague rumors were afloat as to the 
future movements of the "Powhatan," and when we first heard the 
West Indian rumour, we laughed at it ; indeed, a man-of-war, of all the 
places in the world is, perhaps, the greatest place for the circulation 
of false rumours, as any person who has spent one month in the navy 
can testify. 

During the early days of January the rumor was getting strong, 
and by the 4th it* was implicitly believed, and to make it short, on 
Saturday, January 10th, about 2 p. m., we left the navy yard, and 
(after a delay of a couple of hours at Fort Norfolk, just below the city 
of Norfolk, and almost within pistol shot of it, for the purpose of get- 
ting in powder from the naval magazine there), we steamed quickly 
away, and without delaying for a moment at Hampton Roads, we 
passed Fortress Monroe and proceeded straight out to sea, and by 
night-fall had left the capes on our stern and were on the main ocean 
bound, in the first place, for the island of San Domingo, after which 
we were to visit Jamaica and a couple of ports on the northern coast 
of South America, whence we were to proceed to Key West, Florida, 
to await orders. 

The voyage was very pleasant and in a few days we found ourselves 
in the trade winds, the atmosphere of which we found to be most 
salubrious; in fact, if we had never been told so we shoidd feel it in- 
stinctively. 

On Saturday, January 17th, being just seven days at sea, land was 
sighted on our port bow, and in a couple of hours we skirted it by. 
It proved to be one of the Turk islands which belong to the crown of 
Great Britain, and proceeding along we, m a few hours, passed an- 
other of the Turk islands on our starboard beam, and on the next 



10 

morning, Sunday, January 18th, arrived in front of the small, but 
rather famous town of Puerta Platta, Dominican Republic, island of 
San Domingo, which island consists of two distinct and independent 
States, namely: Hayti and San Domingo, or the Dominican Republic, 
though the name " Hayti," which is an Indian word, was at one time 
applied to the whole island, and is sometimes even yet. 

Puerta Platta is a small town of perhaps a thousand inhabitants, 
but we did not have the pleasure of stopping there, we simply hove 
to and did not cast anchor, the Captain sending an officer ashore in a 
small boat to visit the American Consul, and upon the return of this 
boat we again put to sea and next day, Monday, the 19th, we entered 
the harbor of Cape Haytien City, Republic of Hayti, which consists of 
about a third part of the entire island of San Domingo. 

In the harbor of Cape Haytien City we remained at anchor for eleven 
days, during which time the famous encounter between "The Rival 
Coxswains " came off on the forecastle, which we have endeavoured 
to immortalize by the poem on the subject to be found on another 
page of this work. 

We were visited here by the Governor of the town and his staff, all 
of whom were colored men, which was the first occasion in the lives of 
most of our ship's company in which we had the pleasure of seeing 
members of the colored race treated with anything more than ordinary 
courtesy. 

On Wednesday, January 29th, we had target practise with small 
arms, every man in the ship firing three rounds; and next day, the 
30th, we sailed from Cape Haytien and spending one night at sea, we 
arrived next day, the 31st, at the harbor of Saint Nicholas' Mole, 
having first had target practice at sea with big guns before entering 
the harbor. Thomas Collins, Captain of the forecastle, and Charles 
H. Jackson, Captain of the foretop, were the two best marksmen on 
this occasion. 

Saint Nicholas's Mole is a small village with a little fort on the 
shore in which we could see a couple of gaps in the sea wall, the re- 
sult, probably, of a bombardment from some man-of-war, as the his- 
tory of this country from the time of its first colonization by the 
Europeans to the present time has been one continued succession of 
conspiracies, insurrections, wars and revolutions. Saint Nicholas' 
Mole is remarkable as having been one of the first places in the New 
World visited by the great Columbus, who gave it the name it now 
bears. We remained one day at Saint Nicholas, putting to sea again 
on Sunday, February 1st, arriving next day at Port au Prince, the 
capital of the Republic of Hayti and the residence of the President. 

On the seventh day of our stay at Port au Prince, Salomon, the 
President of the Republic, who is* a full-blooded negro, accompanied 
! by his wife, who is a French woman, and his staff, which consisted of 



11 

about twenty-five gentlemen, all being negroes and the majority of 
full blood, and all being arrayed in the most magnificent attire, came 
aboard our vessel on a visit of state and were received with the great- 
est honors. The officers, sailors and marines were all in their best 
to receive them, and it was quite a holiday aboard. On the evening 
of the same day (February 9th) a small steamer steamed up beside our 
gangway, aboard of which there was a fine tender bull, a present to 
our ship's company from the President of the Republic. 

Next day, February 10th, we put to sea and for dinner this day the 
President's bull was served out to the entire ship's company and was 
much relished by all, and next day, the 11th, we entered the harbor 
of Aux Cayes, which is a poor looking place with only a few houses 
that we could see. We remained here but one day when we again 
sailed, arriving in twenty hours at Jacmel, which is a beautiful little 
place, but we only remained here a couple of hours when we again put 
to sea and that very regretfully because the place was so beautiful, 
the houses so grand looking that we were all quite in love with it, but 
we have no voice in the movements of our ships. Next day, the 14th, 
we arrived in San Domingo City, the capital of the Dominican Repub- 
lic, where we remained for three days. San Domingo is remarkable 
as having been the first city built in the New World, having been 
founded by Columbus and his brothers, although the location of the 
present city is not the exact spot on which the original city was built. 
It is the oldest seaport in the New World and was, for the first half 
•century of its existence, a very important place, indeed. For the last 
three centuries it is a very dull place. 

Almost the entire coast of the island of San Domingo is moun- 
tainous, large mountain ranges completely overhanging the sea, be- 
hind which are ranges of valleys, to the rear of which are other ranges 
of mountains, so that it is a very mountainous country, indeed. 

We left San Domingo City on February 17th, and on the 19th we 
perceived the mountains of Jamaica on our starboard bow, and we 
were completely taken aback by their immense height and grandeur. 
We had considered the mountains of San Domingo very high, but 
they are only little hills in comparison with the stupendous moun- 
tains of Jamaica. We entered a beautiful harbor where there is a 
navy yard, the property of the English government, to whom the 
Island of Jamaica belongs. Three English men-of-war were lying 
here, one at the yard and two at anchor in the harbor near. This 
place is called Port Royal, and we immediately cast anchor (February 
19th), and soon our ship was besieged by about two dozen small boats 
full of women, some of whom were washerwomen seeking for clothes 
to wash, and more had large baskets of fruit for sale, oranges, 
bananas, etc. 

Next day we steamed six miles further up the harbor and cast an- 



12 

chor in front of the city of Kingston, which is the capital of the is- 
land and the residence of the Governor. Kingston is a very clean look- 
ing city and shows more signs of civilization than any of the cities of 
San Domingo. We remained here for six days, during which time we 
went alongside the wharf and coaled ship and were mnch surprised! 
when we saw the coaling done by women, of whom there were' 
about thirty-five, all being full-blooded negroes, and bearing on their 
faces the appearance of hard work. This work, so unnatural to the 
sex, has changed their appearance to such an extent that they look 
more like men than women. 

On Thursday, February 26th, we left Kingston, arriving in two- 
days at Savanilla, United States of Colombia, formerly called New 
Granada, on the continent of South America, and here we heard of a 
rebellion being in the country, and that a large force of rebels had passed 
on the early part of the same day within a few miles of Savanilla, and 
were in the act of marching on Carthagena, an ancient and important 
seaport in the same country, about sixty miles from Savanilla. In 
consequence of this intelligence we left Savanilla the next mornings 
Sunday, March 1st, and on the afternoon of the same day we entered 
the harbor of Carthagena. 

As we ascended the harbor towards the city we passed between two* 
forts, one of which, Fort San Fernando on our port side, was occupied 
by government soldiers, of whom we saw about a score ; and sailing: 
on we soon got a good view of the city, passing between two other 
forts, one on our port side called Castel le Grande, was held by gov- 
ernment soldiers, or unionists, as they were called, and the other fort 
facing it on our starboard side, called Fort Manzanillo, was unoccu- 
pied on the day we entered the harbor, but three days after the rebels 
took possession of it. Forts Manzanillo and Castel le Grande are- 
about a mile asunder and being occupied by garrisons of the opposite- 
sides, the soldiers in both forts have ample opportunity of firing at 
each other, which opportunity they availed themselves of, as we after- 
wards saw, to their hearts' content on both sides, under our very eyes,, 
week after week, day and night, and as at both sides, they kept as 
much as possible under cover, behind their stone walls, they thus had 
the great advantage, or rather glory, of continual fighting with only 
very small risk to life or limb at either side. 

A short distance above the two forts, or nearly a mile below the- 
city, we dropped anchor, and very soon our Consul came aboard the- 
ship and we learned a few particulars about the war. A civil war, in 
most cases, is the result of a rebellion on the part of some of the cit- 
izens, or subjects, against the established government, and this Colom- 
bian civil war is no exception to the general rule. 

The government troops, under the command of General San Do- 
mingo, held the City of Carthagena upon which the rebels, under the- 



J 



13 

command of General Gaitan, were marching, and a day or two after 
our arrival the rebels arrived outside the city and laid it under siege. 
They first took possession of the Convent on the top of the hill over- 
looking the city, which General Gaitan made his headquarters. 

On the 4th of March, which was the third day after our arrival, the 
first shot, was fired by the rebels against the walls of the town. Car- 
thagena is a walled town, which is a very rare thing in the New 
World. It was built early in the sixteenth century by the Spaniards, 
and a good many of the houses are built in the style used by the 
Spanish nobility. Both parties being very much wanting in arms 
and ammunition, and having no big guns of any account at either 
side, the firing was without much result. Some marines were sent 
ashore on the night of March 4th, and on two other nights within a 
week to protect the American Consul's house in case the rebels should 
get into the city. The rebels fired no artillery against the city of any 
account until the night of the 16th of March, when they commenced 
a heavy cannonade but their fire now, as well as all their previous 
fire, was directed almost entirely against the walls, and it was evident 
that they did not go in for taking life. Previous to this they had 
contented themselves with firing their small guns chiefly, and had, in 
the meantime, been mounting their battery on the old castle of San 
Philip, close by the city. The firing from the castle, and the return 
fire from the city, now went on slowly but continually day and night. 
Aboard the U. S. S. " Powhatan " we could see and hear every big gun 
fired at both sides, and almost all the musket firing as well. On the 
night of March 16th, much damage was done in the city by the fire 
from the castle, and about the same time we were requested by the 
rebel General to remove out of the line of fire, and we retired about 
half a league further down the channel, but no extraordinary fighting; 
occurred after. 

On March 20th, after a stay of nineteen days, we left Carthagena, 
for Aspinwall, chiefly for the purpose of getting in some fresh provi- 
sions, as nothing in the way of provisions was to be had in the block- 
aded city of Carthagena ; the only provisions which we got while lying 
there were purchased in the rebel villages down the harbor at some- 
distance from the city, whither one of our boats went almost every day, 
and a couple of times a week the paymaster or clerk went ashore to- 
the rebel camp, where there was a regular market, and bought a bull 
or a cow for the ship's company. The beef was always bought alive^ 
and killed ashore by three of our ship's company — William Bocker, 
Frank Day and Henry Bachman, who are butchers. After a voyage 
of one day we anchored before the City of Aspinwall, March 21st,'and 
found the place in possession of the rebels, but it afterwards turned, 
out that the man who held the position of Governor of Aspinwall was 
not appointed by the recognized rebel authority. It turned out that 



14 

this man, whose name is Preston, imposed himself upon the mob as a 
rebel leader, and when an opportunity offered he put himself at the 
head of as large a force of men as he could persuade to place them- 
selves under his leadership and took possession of the town, which he 
governed for a short time with a wisdom worthy of Solomon, and 
during the few days that we lay at Aspinwall the place was remark- 
ably quiet, but this state of things did not continue, as we shall 
very soon see. The U. S. S. "Galena " was lying at Aspinwall at the 
time, and a good part of the ship's company was ashore for the pro- 
tection of American interests, but yet the place was very quiet, as Mr. 
Preston had not come out in his true colors yet. 

After a stay of four days at Aspinwall we sailed again for Cartha- 
gena, March 25th, and arrived there in three days, March 28th. Next 
day, Sunday, March 29th, we witnessed a very hot naval engagement 
at 2.30 p. m., a little below us, on the harbor, perhaps about a mile 
■off. The rebel navy, in this engagement, consisted of two small 
steamers full of soldiers, one of them being named after the rebel 
•General, "Gaitan." The other rebel boat was named "Commancho 
Roldan." There was only one government or union ship engaged, the 
bark " Colombia," which was only a few days in commission; but, in 
fact, of the three vessels engaged in this battle at both sides, I believe 
not one was in commission more than a week. The bark " Colombia," 
was slowly sailing seaward when one of the rebel steamers, the " Gai- 
tan," or "Gamecock," which was her former name, approached her 
and they commenced a slow fire of shell on each other. Aboard the 
'" Powhatan " word was passed that " all men wishing to go up in the 
rigging to witness the battle may do so," and almost everybody went 
aloft, where we had a very clear view of the battle, as the belligerents 
were only a trifle over a mile from us, and the day was very fine and 
•clear. We saw the. bark and the " Gaitan " slowly firing shell and 
.shot on each other with an occasional musket shot on both sides. 
The shells fell pretty close and the "Gaitan" and "Colombia" were 
both slightly injured. The " Gaitan," after receiving a shell on her 
beam, commenced to steam quickly out of the line of fire, when an- 
other boat, smaller in size, was seen to approach from behind a head- 
land at a short distance. As she was coming near the bark she com- 
menced shelling and cast three or four shells completely beyond the 
mark, almost striking her consort, the " Gaitan," instead of the bark. 
We began to think she was a government boat on account of the way 
tier shells fell, and were almost confirmed in this opinion by seeing 
her steam quite close up to the bark without any shots being fired 
irom one to the other that we could see. In two minutes she com- 
menced to steam quickly away from the bark and commenced at once 
to shell her, which fire was promptly returned. We were now thor- 
oughly undeceived as to the opinion which we had, for a moment, 



15 

formed that the second gunboat was a union boat. In a few minutes 
she steamed back to the bark, firing a heavy stream of shot and shell 
all the time, which was seconded by the " Gaitan," which, at the 
same time, kept at a respectful distance, both fires being returned by 
the bark with a vigorous stream of shell and musketry. The ' ' Com- 
mancho Roldan " steamed up beside the bark, and so close that they 
must have touched each other, and for ten minutes there was a fearful 
fire of shell and musketry between them. We now felt certain that 
one would take or sink the other, and it was a fearful time, indeed. 
At length the "Commancho Roldan" steamed away from the bark, 
and, when about forty feet off, a barrel of gunpowder on her deck, 
having been struck by a splinter or bullet from the bark, a fearful ex- 
plosion occurred. She continued steaming away nearly in the direc- 
tion of her consort, still keeping up a heavy stream of musketry on 
the bark, which was vigorously returned. The bark slowly sailed 
seaward, and the rebel boats remained about the same spot for a short 
time when they retreated from our view behind a headland. 

Our surgeon, Dr. Byrnes, accompanied by the bayman, Harry 
Brinkley, followed and overtook the "Commancho" and offered his 
services in favor of the wounded, which were most gratefully accepted. 
The doctor found two men mortally and nine men slightly wounded, 
out of a company of twenty-five men. The military commander of 
the boat's company, Colonel San Domingo, nephew to General San 
Domingo, commander of the Union Army, was wounded. The Cap- 
tain of the boat, who is an American, got such credit for his behavior 
during the battle that he got the rank of Commodore on the following 
day, and was put in command of all the rebel ships lying at Cartha- 
gena. His name is Eckert, and he was born at Philadelphia. The 
doctor visited the other rebel boat, "Gaitan," and the union bark, 
"Colombia," but found only one man wounded in each. 
. For the next three weeks the city continued in a state of siege, com- 
pletely blockaded by the enemy, and having no communication with 
the outside world except the visits of our steam launch, which was 
very near being struck on two occasions, one time by a couple of bul- 
lets which whizzed past the ears of the officers, marines and boat's 
company. This happened during our first stay at Carthagena, and 
on the other occasion a splinter of shell fell within a few feet of the 
launch, bat it is believed that on both occasions it was accidental. 

The union fighting ships " Raphael Nunez " and " Union," and an- 
other steamer, wdiich was bought from an American while we were 
lying at Carthagena, used to steam down the bay two or three times 
a week, firing at the rebel fort Manzanillo, which fire was always re- 
turned by the fort, with no loss of life on either side. During these 
three weeks Forts Manzanillo and Castel le Grande generally fired 
two shots at each other every twenty-four hours, so that we were 



16 

beginning to get sick of the place. I do not believe that there were 
three men wounded during these three weeks. Our boats went ashore 
almost every day to the rebel villages to buy some provisions, which 
were very dear, but in the city provisions went to an enormous price. 

About two days after our second arrival at Carthagena we heard 
bad news from Aspinwall. Preston, the self-appointed Governor, see- 
ing that he could not hold the place against the Union Army, which 
had the city besieged, burned the city down, sparing only the Ameri- 
can and English consulates and one or two other buildings, and then 
evacuated the city, when the Union Army immediately took posses- 
sion, the rebels retreating towards Panama. Preston, for the last few 
days of his administration, governed the place with a high hand, in- 
deed. He put the American and English Consuls into prison without 
cause, and was guilty of several other most extravagant and uncalled- 
for acts of tyranny, which was only in keeping with his previous char- 
acter of usurper. In consequence oi this a large force of sailors and 
marines was sent specially from Brooklyn, Boston, Portsmouth, N.H., 
Philadelphia and Norfolk navy yards, and arrived unexpectedly at 
Aspinwall for the protection of' the Panama railroad, which is owned 
by an American company. The whole North Atlantic fleet, under 
the command of Admiral Jouett, arrived in Aspinwall about the same 
time. Sailors and marines were landed and put in possession of all. 
the railway company's buildings, and a small force of sailors and ma- 
rines, well armed, were placed upon every train going across the 
isthmus. 

On Sunday, April 19th, another battle took place below Carthagena, 
between the Village of Boca Chica and the island of Baru. The Union 
Army, or rather navy, under the command of General San Domingo, 
left the city on their three men-of-war, which, in reality, were only 
what we would call river steamers. They are called stern-wheelers, 
being all propelled by one paddle at the stern, which is a very com- 
mon thing in the West Indies and on the Mississippi, and this class of 
steamer may be sometimes seen in New York. The sailors of the 
" Powhatan " nicknamed them " Wet Stern Janes." The three Wet 
Stern Janes passed the "Powhatan," steamed down and attacked 
the rebels at Baru, and the rebel boat " Gaitan," which was lying by 
the village of Boca Chica, and after a battle which held several hours, 
of which we aboard the "Powhatan" had but a very poor view, 
though we could hear the firing. One of the Wet Stern Janes went 
aground accidentally, and her consorts about the same time, probably 
finding the place too hot for them, retreated to the city. The rebels 
fired upon the poor, solitary Wet Stern Jane which the Union soldiers, 
from her decks, returned promptly until one of her ship's company 
was killed and four wounded, when they surrendered, and it is said 
that a good many of her men entered the service of the rebels. The 



17 

loss of the rebels was eight killed and fourteen wounded. The cap- 
tured Wet Stern Jane " Union" went into commission as a rebel man- 
of-war on the following morning, Monday, April 20th. 

On the nights of the 20th and 21st of April heavy firing went on 
between the rebel castle of San Philip and the city each night up to 
midnight, and also between the rival forts Manzanillo and Castel le 
Grande, the flash of fire accompanying each shot being at all times 
plainly visible to us aboard the " Powhatan," and the report made by 
each shot was easily heard also. Everybody was expecting that a 
great, final and decisive battle would take place very soon as the 
rebels were getting stronger every day. On Sunday, as I mentioned 
above, they took one of the Wet Stern Janes, with her ship's com- 
pany, some of whom subsequently embraced the rebel cause, and on 
the following day a fresh Wet Stern Jane arrived in the harbor with a 
reinforcement of soldiers for the rebel service, so that the rebel navy 
now consisted of five ships, and the Unions have only two Wet Stern 
Janes, as the bark " Colombia " cannot be seen at all lately, and the 
garrison and poor people of the city are nearly starved out and trying 
to live on very poor rations. The rebel cause is very much on the 
lookup and the Union's very much the other way, and on the 24th the 
five rebel ships were seen approaching the city. The ' 'Powhatan" had, 
on the day before, shifted her anchorage up to within a short mile of 
the city so as to be near at hand in case the rebels got possession of 
the place, when plunderers might break through the town and Amer- 
can citizens may stand in need of protection. The rebel boat " Gal- 
tan" engages fort Castel le Grande, five or six shells and some mus- 
ket shots are exchanged when the '"Gaitan" retires, and in an hour 
after General Gaitan sent a small boat, under a flag of truce, up to 
the walls of the city with a letter to the General in command demand- 
ing the surrender of the city by 6 p. m. that afternoon, otherwise the 
whole rebel fleet, land forces and batteries would bombard the town. 

At the very hour that the rebel small boat, under the flag of truce, 
was approaching the city walls with General Gaitan's ultimatum a 
very noteworthy event occurred aboard the "Powhatan." A sailor, 
named Weber, accidentally fell overboard, and instantly another 
sailor, named William Kentle, alias Buffalo Bill, jumped in to the 
rescue ; but, as is usual with drowning men, Weber, who is very strong 
and able, collared on to poor Bill, who was very near coming to grief 
and had enough to do to save himself from his too affectionate ship- 
mate. In a moment Mr. Brownson, the First Lieutenant, jumped 
overboard and, in the twinkling of an eye, had got the upperhand of 
Weber and was in the act of pulling him close by one of the small 
boats near, when another officer, Lieutenant Almy, throwing his belt 
and sword aside, jumped overboard and assisted Mr. Brownson in 
pulling Weber alongside the boat, when William Kentle, who had got 



18 

into the boat a moment before, pulled Weber up from the hands of 
the two officers in the water. Weber had a narrow escape, and the 
greatest credit is due to Mr. Brownson and Mr. Almy, and also to 
William Kentle who, although unsuccessful in his struggle with 
Weber, yet displayed great manhood in thus risking his life to save 
a shipmate, and the merit of all is enhanced tenfold by the well-known 
fact that the water around was full of sharks. 

At 6 p. m. to the minute (April 24th) the Union fort, Castel le 
Grande, commenced firing at Manzanillo, which was a very expressive 
way of saying, "No surrender!" The forts continued firing at each 
other in the old harmless way, and very early in the night all firing- 
ceased, contrary to what we expected, as we thought the rebels would 
bombard the town, as they had threatened, but they are biding their 
time. 

In the middle of the night the Union troops evacuated Castel le 
Grande and the rebels occupied it next day, Saturday the 25th, but 
not for more than twelve hours after its evacuation by the Unions, as 
the rebels were not sure of its being evacuated and had to feel their 
way before sending men ashore to occupy it. Forts Manzanillo and 
Castel le Grande are no longer enemies; the rebels are now in posses- 
sion of both and no more can we see them wasting their ammunition 
and losing their sleep on each other. 

On the same day, Saturday, April 25th, the rebel gunboat "Gaitan n 
comes up to within half a mile of the city, and we all think that the 
grand assault is going to come off. She fires two or three shells at 
the city and three or four shots are fired at her from the city walls, 
one of which passed over her and struck the water twenty feet astern 
of her, and in two minutes after a ricochet shot struck the water in 
three places directly forward of her and then bounded directly over 
her and struck the water in four places directly astern of her, so that 
she had a narrow escape, indeed, and in a few minutes* she retreated. 
She was not more than a quarter of a mile from us when these shots 
struck so close to her so that we were barely out of the line of fire. 

The rebels landed six or seven hundred men this day at Castel le 
Grande and took possession of the entire peninsula on which Castel le 
Grande is built. This peninsula extends up to the walls of the city, 
and the rebels are employed in building breastworks within a few 
hundred yards of the walls, which spot shall, for some time, be a 
rather interesting locality and not a very safe place for promenaders. 
For the next three days a very slow but continuous fire is kept up be- 
tween the city and the rebel breastworcls on Isle de Grande, which is 
the peoper name for the place where Castel le Grande is built. The 
greater part of the firing is from the city, as no battery has yet been 
mounted at the rebel breastworks, but on the 27th and 28th the rebel 
castle of San Philip, which had been silent for some weeks, com- 



19 

menced firing again, and on the 28th nine of our marines were sent 
ashore to the Consul's house for his protection, and also of some more- 
American citizens. 

On the 29th accounts are received of the recapture of Barnquilla by 
the Unionists, and of an army advancing to the relief of Carthagena, 
but it is nearly time for events to take some turn which should leave 
the country in peace and give the followers of Uncle Sam a chance of 
getting liberty in some civilized place, as we are now nearly four 
months aboard the ship without getting any liberty. 

The siege of Carthagena goes on very slowly, and we are continually 
disappointed in our expectation that the rebels would make a great 
general assault by land and sea on the city. Things go on in the- 
same monotonous way, the town batteries firing slowly but continually 
at the rebels, who are mounting, or trying to mount, a battery on Isle 
de Grande within a few hundred yards of the walls, and the rebel cas- 
tle of San Philip throws two or three shells every day against the 
walls. The rebel navy is very slow and we do not see them making: 
any hostile movement against the city. 

On the 28th April a schooner from Kingston, Jamaica, arrives off 
the city, at the sea side, and the rebels soon found out that she was 
laden with a fine cargo of good, fresh provisions for the starving city 
of Carthagena. The rebel gunboat " Gaitan" comes down on the 
schooner, captures her and tows her away in the direction of one of 
their villages; a bad job for the city of Carthagena, to the soldiers and 
people of which this cargo of provisions would have been a great 
relief. 

The rebels are gaining ground slowly but surely, and we cannot 
help supposing that they are deferring the bombardment of the city 
in order to save life, in the hope that, through starvation, the city 
must surrender. On May 2d the Union bark " Colombia, " which had 
played such an important part in the battle of March 29th, was seen, 
from our decks in the act of being towed away to one of the rebel vil- 
lages by one of the rebel gunboats which had captured her, another 
great advantage to the rebels and a great loss to the Unionists, and it 
is now thought that the city must surrender very soon. The bark 
"Colombia" was commissioned as a rebel man-of-war on the follow- 
ing morning, May 3d, by General Gaitan and Commodore Eckert made 
her his flagship. 

Our nine marines and one sailor, who had been ashore at the Con- 
sul's house since the 28th tilt., returned aboard the ship on the after- 
noon of May 4th, and it was an understood thing that the great final 
bombardment and storming of the city would take place that night or 
next day, but the three following days showed no new phases of the 
war. 

However, one hour after midnight on the morning of May 8th, the 



20 

long-expected grand attack came off. On each of the three previous 
evenings we had vainly expected it, and on the night of the 7th all 
hands retired early feeling certain that there would be no fighting that 
night as the bark "Colombia," which had been lying off Manzanillo 
point, was towed away down the harbor a little after dark, which, to 
our eyes, did not look much like war, but this very movement was 
preparatory to the great attack on the city which commenced about 
one o'clock that night and lasted till about six in the morning. 

All the fighting, which we had been witnessing for the past two 
months, was as nothing in comparison with this terrible midnight as- 
sault. No words can describe, no pen can portray the terrific gran- 
deur of the scene as we witnessed it at 2 a. m. on the morning of May 8th, 
.and we were told that it was worse half an hour before. The Unionists 
were musket firing from all visible parts of the w T alls except the wall 
facing the Castle of San Philip, and it being in the dead hour of night, 
and there being about nine shots fired to the second, or about thirty- 
three thousand to the hour, and of big guns there being about a hun- 
dred to the hour, and the flash from each of these guns, big and small, 
being remarkably brilliant in the surrounding darkness, the scene was 
as grand as it was undoubtedly terrific. This fire I am describing in- 
cludes the return fire from the rebels as w T ell as the Union's fire from 
the walls. The three-fourths of all the musket, firing was from the 
walls, and chiefly from the barracks, which are built right behind and 
over the wall, which fire was returned by the bark ' 'Colombia" and one 
of the stern wheeled steamers with heavy shells. The walls of the 
•city were illuminated by the perpetual musket flashes which suc- 
ceeded each other so rapidly, and at the same time so regularly, that 
about two hundred flashes were visible at each instant of time. '1 he 
big gun firing was principally from the rebels on their two ships on 
the open sea at the other side of Isle cle Grande, and from one gun 
which was mounted on Isle de Grande within about five hundred 
yards of the city walls. The firing, which had commenced suddenly 
at 1 a. m., continued at the same terrific rate until 3 a.m., when the 
fire from the walls cooled down very much, perhaps from a scarcity 
of ammunition. At a few minutes after 3 a.m. two rebel steamers, 
which had been lying off Manzanillo point, proceeded slowly and 
quietly up almost under the very walls of the city, and just as they 
liad reached the channel dividing the city from the mainland (for the 
city is almost an island) a tar barrel was lighted on the slope of the big 
lull about one hundred yards below the Convent, which we* all be- 
lieved to be a signal, and in a few minutes after the Castle of San 
Philip, which had been silent all the night, commenced suddenly to 
bombard the town, and a large body of rebels, who had been as silent 
as the grave hitherto, began to fire their muskets against the city at a 
fearful race, and this fire continued till daylight. The musket flashes 



21 

from this new fire were fully as grand in appearance and a little more 
terrific than the previous firing from the city walls, and the Unions 
on the adjacent part of the city wall were prompt enough in replying 
to this new onslaught on their city. At the dawn of day, or about 
5 a.m., the firing was worse than ever, but towards 6 a.m. it was going 
very much down, and a little after 6 a.m. the battle was over, except 
a little desultory firing which continued at a very low rate through 
the day. 

Our steam launch made her usual morning trip to the city at 6 a.m. 
on the morning of the 8th, and landed as usual at the wharf, but her 
crew could not see a human being outside the walls, when they pro- 
ceeded as usual up to the gate of the city which was most firmly 
secured, and they had to return to their boat without seeing a human 
being. 

However, we learned, in the course of the day and next day, that a 
body of rebels got uuder the walls at 3.30 a.m. and, by means of scal- 
ing ladders, some of them got noiselessly on the walls, but betrayed 
their presence to the enemy too soon by shouting "vive Gaitan,"' 
"when they were completely overpowered by the Unionists, who came 
down on them from every side, and after an interval of resistance, 
during which a good many of the storming party were killed, while a-\ 
few made their escape, the great bulk of them, or about one hundred 
and sixty, surrendered. The Unionists acknowledged to a loss of only 
nine killed and ten wounded, but the loss of the rebels was enormous. 
They acknowledged to be short seven hundred men, of whom one hun- 
dred and sixty were prisoners in the hands of the Unionists, and the 
remainder were all killed or wounded, with perhaps a few deserters. 
On the bark "Colombia" one man was killed who was the mainstay 
of the rebel navy. This was Commodore Eckert, the American who 
commanded the "Commancho Roldan"at the battle of the 29th of 
March against the bark " Colombia," which vessel he commanded to- 
day, she having exchanged owners since through the fortune of war, 
having been captured by Eckert himself. The last big gun fired from 
the walls of the city blew his shoulder off and he died in a short time. 
There is no doubt but he was a man of the most extraordinary bravery, 
and had he lived and the rebellion been successful, he would, most 
probably, hold chief command of the Colombian navy. He was, by 
rofession, a sea captain and joined the rebel service in that capacity, 
m ut was promoted to the rank of Commodore before he was two weeks 
in the service. 

On Sunday morning, May 10th, two rebel steamers passed down the 
harbor well loaded with men, ostensibly for the purpose of fighting a 
reinforcement of Unionists, who were said to be advancing from Bar- 
■anquilla to the relief of Carthagena, under the command, it was said, 
of General San Domingo, so that the rumor, which had been in cir- 



I 



22 

dilation of his having deserted his country must have been false. 

On Monday the 11th. the war was believed to be over, as the assault 
on the city was a dead failure, the rebels having lost seven hundred 
men between killed, wounded, prisoners and missing, and as the en- 
tire force engaged in the assault was only 2,900 men the defeat was 
too heavy. A little firing continued from both sides for a few days 
until the 13th, when it ceased altogether. A little before noon on the 
13th almost all the rebel force stationed within two miles of the city- 
sailed down the harbor on the bark " Colombia " and one of the Wet 
Stern Janes, both being well loaded with men. 

About an hour after this the English schooner, which had arrived 
at Carthagena some weeks before with provisions for the Unionists, 
and which had been captured by the rebels, was set fire to by the 
rebel gunboat " Commancho Roldan." Our captain, seeing how 
things stood, sent a couple of boats' crews to extinguish the fire, as 
our navy looks after English interests in the absence of the English 
navy, and vice versa, and as the "Commancho Roldan " was seen im- 
mediately to steam up the harbor towards the city, the Captain sent 
an officer, with an armed boat, to hail her and to order her to steam 
up along side the " Powhatan," which order her commander had good 
sense enough to obey. It was a moment of great excitement aboard 
the U.S. S. " Powhatan " when the rebel gunboat came alongside and 
was tied securely to our booms, a captured vessel. Just as she was 
in the act of being tied four or five of her company got into a small 
boat and were quietly in the act of making their escape when the Cap- 
tain, who was the first to perceive the move, ordered a few of the sail- 
ors to turn a small piece of artillery on them, the sight of which made 
them pull back a little quicker than they were going away. The First 
Lieutenant ordered the commanding officer of the rebel man-of-war 
to come aboard the "Powhatan," and in two minutes the gallant rebel 
officer stepped over our gangway on the quarter-deck, accompanied 
by one of his engineers, who is, I believe, an Englishman, and who 
came with him to act as interpreter. The gallant commander, whose* 
rank in the rebel navy, or army I should rather say, is that of Major,, 
wore a short shell jacket with redjfacings, and a pair of blue trowsers, 
a little coarser in appearance than that worn by our marines. He is 
about eighteen years of age ; rather young, we should imagine, for the- 
commander of a man-of-war, even though his military rank is only 
that of Major. The moment he stepped on the quarter-deck he un- 
covered his head most respectfully and walked back to the poop where- 
he conversed with the Captain and First Lieutenant, with the aid of 
the interpreter. 

Very coincidently an English man-of-wer was just steaming up the- 
harbor and in an hour she anchored close by us, and as the offence of 
which the rebel tug was guilty was committed on an English mer- 



23 

chant ship, the rebel officer, with his ship and men, was turned over 
to the custody of the Captain of the English man-of-war "Lily,** 
who, upon learning all the facts of the case, released officer, crew and 
vessel and they sailed away about their business as cool and uncon- 
cerned as if nothing had happened. The U.S.S. " Tennessee " and! 
'^Alliance" arrived in Carthagena harbor to-day (13th), and the "Ten- 
nessee" having run aground by the rebel village Boca Chica, we 
steamed down and anchored near her for the purpose of assisting her 
in getting afloat, but she got afloat early in the night without our as- 
sistance, having been assisted by the U.S.S. "Alliance" and the 
Spanish man-of-war, "Ferdinand the Catholic.'' 

Next morning, the 14th of May, the bark " Colombia," which had 
anchored somewhere near during the night, sailed out to sea so heavily 
laden with men that there was not room for them on the decks and in 
the hold and a great number of them were in the rigging. She must 
have had 1200 men aboard, and the balance of the rebel ships at Car- 
thagena left during the day (two or three had left within the previous 
four days), with the stragglers of the rebel army, and at sundown of 
May 14th, the only rebel to be found within seven miles of Cartha- 
gena was an old man who would not leave his native village of Boca 
Chica, although there was not a human being in the village but him- 
self, all the women and children having deserted. 

We received our overdue and long-expected mail this afternoon, it 
having been brought to us by the U.S.S. "Tennessee." Several of 
our ship's company, got a dozen letters together, which was a great 
consolation to a good many of us who had been without hearing 1'rom 
our friends since before we left Norfolk. 

The siege of Carthagena is raised; the besieging army have left the 
neighborhood, so we may consider the war as over and we all expect 
to go home to the States very soon. On the afternoon of the 14th we 
steamed back from the village of Boca Chica to our old anchorage 
within half a mile of the city, having first got a lot of provisions aboard 
from the U.S.S. " Tennesse," which we were to deliver to the poor 
starving people of Carthagena, it having been sent to them from the 
United States, and on the following day it was all put aboard some 
lighters and carried ashore. 

On Sunday morning, May 17th, we sailed from Carthagena, passing 
by the flagship " Tennessee," which vessel still lay at anchor off the 
village of Boca Chica, and proceeded out to sea, bound for Kev West 
Florida. J 

Our stay at Carthagena was very long and eventful, no vessel on the 
home station having witnessed such fighting since the great civil war. 
It was exactly eleven weeks from the day we entered Carthagena till 
we left, out of which we were absent eight or nine days on our trip to 
Aspinwall. 



24 

On Thursday, June 21st, which was our fourth day at sea, we had 
target practice with big guns, after which we proceeded on our voy- 
age, which was a very agreeable one from beginning to end, and on 
Monday, May 25th, after a voyage of eight days, we entered the har- 
bor of Key West, where we dropped anchor, which, in a few hours, 
we lifted again and went up beside the naval wharf for the purpose 
of coaling ship. We remained by the wharf for a few days, coaled 
ship and steamed out into the harbor again, where we dropped anchor. 

The entire ship's company got liberty here ; the port watch, which 
includes half the ship's company, going ashore on June 4th, and the 
starboard watch, or other half, on the following day. All hands re- 
turned from liberty clean, sober and in good time, notwithstanding 
the fact that they had been five months, and some of them six or 
seven months, without liberty. 

As the last boat returned to the ship on the morning of June 6th, 
with the last of the liberty party, orders were received from Wash- 
ington to prepare at once for sea and to leave on the following morn- 
ing for New York. All hands were very glad when they heard this 
good news. We had been so long cruising about the West Indies that 
the prospect of going ashore in such a civilized place as New York was 
very pleasant, indeed. 

The next day, Sunday, June 7th, which was an exceedingly hot day, 
we sailed out 6f the harbor of Key West to the great and undisguised 
joy of the entire ship's company. The weather was exceedingly hot for 
the first three days, but early in the night of Tuesday it changed very 
much for the worse. It began to rain in a most fearful way, and 
the wind blew pretty strong at the same time, so that for two 
days our voyage was anything but agreeable. The rain fell in tor- 
rents, with scarcely any intermission from 8 p.m., on Tuesday, until 
noon on Thursday, or about forty hours, and a good deal of it got 
down through the hatchways, so that there was scarcely a dry spot to 
be found on the berth-deck, and, although there was no danger, we 
found it exceedingly disagreeable. The wind, which was pretty strong 
from the beginning, got very strong on the forenoon of Thursday, and 
we rolled very much for a while, shipped a few heavy seas, after which 
the rain ceased, the wind gradually went down, the sea got a good 
deal calmer, and we pursued our voyage again in good spirits, and on 
Saturday the 13th, about noon, dropped anchor a few miles outside 
Sandy Hook, it not being safe to proceed any further at the time on 
account of a heavy fog; and, in a couple of hours, the fog having 
cleared away, with hearts full of joy, we entered once more the glori- 
ous harbor of New York ; steamed by Coney Island and Staten Island, 
to the great joy of everyone aboard, and dropped anchor near the 
Quarantine Station, at the Narrows, in full view of New York and 
Brooklyn. 



25 

It is now seven and a-half months since we sailed from New York, 
and here we are after a long, weary and eventful cruise How aw- 
fully welcome to our eyes is the scenery of the Hudson after such a 
long absence, in such uncivilized places as we have visited during our 
long and tedious cruise. There is New York and Brooklyn directly 
in front, and on either beam the green, lovely shores of New York 
harbor; studded, as they are, with such beautiful buildings and resi- 
dences. Our cruise is over and we will probably go to the Navy Yard 
in a day or two ; all hands shall, most probably, get a furlough ; we 
can have a good time; enjoy ourselves thoroughly; rest on our oars 
and dream of what we are going to do when our term has expired ; 
whether we will again enter into Uncle Sam's service ; retire into pri- 
vate life, or go on a transatlantic trip to the old, old and venerable 
sod in the Old "World which gave birth to our fathers and to the 
greater part of ourselves as well. 



26 

A FE¥ POEMS RELST1NGTO THE " POWH1TM." 

GREAT NAVAL BATTLE 

BETWEEN THE U. S. STEAM LAUNCH "POCAHONTAS" AND THE COLOMBIAN 
FLAGSHIP, A. D. 1885. 

Sharp, sharp is the music, the bugle is blowing ; 
The strength of his lungs is the trumpeter throwing; 
The steam launch away, he is rapidly calling— 
And close by the gangway at once is she hauling. 

Peter Nagel the coxswain his orders are getting, 
The bow of the launch is just under the netting, 
High over her stern, her banner is rearing; 
While for a smart trip all her hands are preparing. 

Her boiler is full of hot water— mad boiling; 
George Ufford his engine is steadily oiling, 
George Pratt and McCue at the furnace are firing; 
Our two jolly firemen are hotly perspiring. 

She is off to the shore and the hot sun is shining, 
And round the horizon has thrown its bright lining. 
The awning is fixed by Hans Nelson and Booling— 
The breeze blowing under is balmy and cooling. 

For sweet Carthagena the steam launch is heading, 
Where war is fast raging and noble blood shedding ; 
She makes for the wharf and gets in by the turning, 
And in a few hours to the ship is returning. 

On sweet Carthagena the night is fast falling. 
What loud voice is that on the gallant launch calling? 
The launch's bold crew look around for the stranger, 
Amused and surprised, and regardless of danger. 

A great man-of-war down upon them is bearing, 
The national flag most triumphantly rearing ; 
The great fighting ship of the government section- 
Looking out for the ships of the great insurrection. 

The admiral thinks that the steam launch is slender. 
He calls on the coxswain at once to surrender ; 
Emphasises his call by a mighty gun's bawling— 
And splinters of shell round the steam launch are falling. 

He calls on the launch and his voice now is louder, 
But cannot fire his gun, he is wanting in powder; 
With only one charge was the flagship provided— 
The issue of battle is yet undecided. 



The steam launch's crew have no weapons of slaughter, 
But they have a hose which they load with hot water ; 
They aim for the flagship and fire it right at her, 
The admiral's face do they scald and bespatter. 

The officers, soldiers and sailors are burned, 
The fate of the day is decidedly turned ; 
The stream of hot water upon them is falling — 
And all hands set up a loud chorus of bawling. 

The white flag of truce is the admiral showing, 
Requesting the coxswain to cease water throwing ; 
McCue, Nagel, Ufford, Pratt, Xelson and Booling — 
Put the hose on cold water to give them a cooling. 

They knew they had injured the admiral sadly, 
And scalded the sailors and officers badly; 
They now send salt water; a welcome ablution, 
To cool up their blisters — a sweet restitution. 

The admiral holds his head under the water, 
And so do the seamen and soldiers of slaughter ; 
They find the cold water delicious and cooling — 
Again with our steam launch they shall not go fooling. 

The steam launch goes off and how proud is her story ! 
The names of her crew are emblazoned in glory, 
McCue, Nagel, Ufford, Pratt, Nelson and Booling — 
Who scalded the flagship and gave her a cooling. 



GORXELIUS O'LEARY. 
False rumours are always aboard a ship flying; 
For some funny people will always be trying 
To fool with their shipmates ; they often deceive them, 
So when we hear facts we can scarcely believe them. 
Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more on the station ; 

We here know the truth by sublime divination, 

We never heed lies ; we are cautious and wary ; 

Our prophet of truth is Cornelius O'Leary. 
He grew up in Ireland in comfort and plenty, 
And came to New York at the fresh side of twenty ; 
He crossed the blue sea with a heart lighrand airy, 
A billet was wanted by Mister O'Leary. 

Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more, etc. 
He joined the blue navy for peace or for battle, 
His shipmates beside him were slaughtered like cattle ; 



28 

He fought through the war till his face was quite hairy; 
The bullets struck wide of Cornelius O'Leary. 

Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more, etc 
His rating is heavy, he carries an eagle, 
His bearing is courteous, his countenance regal ; 
The noblest of blood from Cape Clear to Tipperary 
Runs in the proud veins of Cornelius O'Leary. 

Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more, etc 
In the dead hour of night about half-past eleven, 
He reads the bright stars on the portals of Heaven, 
From planet to planet his pencil is springing, 
And thus he finds out what the future is bringing. 

Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more, etc 
He knew when this ship was to have a collision; 
He told it beforehand, he saw the clear vision. 
Twelve months beforehand, all her cruise he had stated ; 
He told me last June where we'd now be located. 

Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more, etc 
He knows when a ship has got out of condition, 
He knows when a ship shall go out of commission — 
And from his predictions no events can vary ; 
For a prophet of truth is Cornelius O'Leary. 

Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more, etc-. 
If you want to know where the future shall find you, 
To know what's before you as well as behind you, 
If you cruise shall expire upon ocean or prairie ; 
You can get that information from Mister O'Leary. 

Chorus : — But this ship is not like some more, etc 

BUFFALO BILL. 

"We have one jolly seaman aboard this good ship, 
With such fun in his eye and such wit on his lip ; 
And with so many yarns on top of his tongue, 
Which he tells at his leisure his shipmates among, 
And they gather around him his yarns to hear, 
For his tales are more welcome to them than their beer; 
For when lights are piped out, they are all standing still, 
Entranced in the presence of Buffalo Bill. 
Chorus : — For when lights are piped out we are all standing still, 
We require an extension for Buffalo Bill. 
He has fresh and true stories each day in the year, 
His diction is splendid, his memory clear, 
He sailed the whole world in all sorts of ships — 
And nothing untrue ever comes from his lips ; 



29 

From Liverpool town when a youngster he sailed, 
And to make good his footing he never yet failed, 
When his ship would get lost, on a plank he'd stand still 
And if one man was saved it was sure to be Bill. 

Chorus : — For when lights, etc. 
Near Deny, in Ireland, he once lost a ship; 
For eleven long months there he lived by his lip, 
For the fair ones he went, and he coaxed and caressed 
Till he met with some fair one more cute than the rest; 
She had been in England and knew what was what, 
She knew what was right and she knew what was not ; 
She brought her five brothers — our hero to kill 
And over the Channel went Buffalo Bill. 

Chorus : — For when lights, etc. 
His color is yellow, he is a quadroon : 
He has three drops of white blood and one drop of coon : 
He was well educated and bred to the bar, 
Though now pulling ropes on a steamer of war ; 
He got into a quarrel in Liverpool town 
And knocked four inspectors and officers down, 
The soldiers were coming, he would not stand still, 
They never got tidings of Buffalo Bill. 

Chorus : — For when lights, etc. 

THE RIVAL COXSWAINS, 

At Cape Haytien City our gallant ship lay, 

So calmly at rest in the beautiful bay ; 

The bright sun most sweetly upon us shone dowD, 

On harbor and vessel; on mountain and town. 

The days were so fine that we thought it a pleasure, 
To paint up the ship in our moments of leisure : 
As a good coat outside would improve her condition, 
The catamaran was put into commission. 

But a catamaran needs a coxswain to guide her, 
As much as a ship ten times larger and wider, 
The office is vacant and who is to fill it? 
An Irishman, Scissors, accepted the billet. 

He did his work well, he was willing and able, 
And felt more at ease on the cat than at table ; 
But one of our lieutenants never could prize him, 
As cox of the cat he would not recognize him. 
When he had the deck, Scissors lost the position, 
A darkey named Paddy, received the commission ; 



And when he was relieved by an another lieutenant, 

The darkey was ordered to lower his pennant. 

The eoxswainship thus went along by rotation, 

In turns, they filled up the grand situation : 

In a great job like this with such perquisites flying 

Soon, soon with each other, the rivals were vieing. 

Each wanted the whole job and swore he should win it, 

Every man in the ship had an interest in it, 

Having both tasted power, they could not do without it: 

The crew were all speaking and betting about it. 

The sailors at last thought the question to settle 

By putting the coxswains on muscle and mettle, 

Upon the broad deck they would settle the matter, 

Commenced in good earnest each other to batter. 

They glared and they flew like wild cats at each other, 

Each fully determined his f oeman to smother ; 

The great point to settle is who shall be coxswain? 

Eor which their dear shipmates have now set them boxing. 

But Scissors was abler, and stronger and bigger , 

And on the spar deck cut a good fighting figure ; 

Still, Paddy fought on for he was not a coward — 

And the weight of his knuckles on Scissors he showered. 

But it was all no use for Scissors could best him, 

And with many hard blows on the mallet he dressed him. 

Poor Paddy is beaten and he has retreated 

And Scissors runs after with white anger heated. 

And Paddy takes up a big box for protection ; 

The corporal charges and settles the ruction. 
Though Scissors has beaten his rival at boxing, 
Still Paddy — not Scissors, has got to be coxswain : 
It was so decreed by our highest lieutenant, 
"Who ordered poor Scissors to lower his pennant. 



JERRY COUGHLIN. 

Some sing of great heroes who lived long ago, 
Who were never at peace but when fighting a foe ; 
Who, encased in steel armour to glory rushed on, 
The knights of the temple, the knights of St. John. 
Chorus : — We sing not of knight nor of gay cavalier, 

Who fought for the Cross with bright sabre and spear, 
Who ran to the wars over mountain and valley ; 
We sing of bold Jerry, the knight of the galley. 



31 

He is found in his galley from morning till night, 
But at meal hours, he is in the thick of his fight, 
"When all the mess cooks come upon and surround him 
But Jerry is monarch of all that's around him. 

Chorus : — We sing not, etc. 
Every cook in the ship has to keep his own place, 
For Jerry will have his own way in the case ; 
Their pots and their dishes they take one by one, 
And out of the galley with speed must they run. 

Chorus : — "We sing not, etc. 
He rises each day at ten minutes to four, 
And works at his fires for a quarter or more. 
His fires being lit, he again takes a snooze — 
A very good method to shorten the cruise. 

Chorus: — "We sing not, etc. 
He sleeps in the galley, he sleeps by himself, 
He sleeps with his pots and his cans and his delf, 
And if at the door you would show but your nose , 
Upon you at once would he turn the hose. 

Chorus — We sing not, etc. 
For* no man on the vessel does he care a rap, 
And he can speak English, and Irish and Jap ! 
He was born in Boston far down in the East, 
And was by his parents brought up for a priest. 

Chorus : — We sing not, etc 
He was reared for the church but he took to the sea, 
He hung his vocation and Jerry was free. 
He hung his dark robes and he donned the sea blue, 
And now he is one of our gallant ship's crew. 

Chorus : — We sing not, etc. 
He is smart at the tongue, with high words he can fence, 
And carry smart jokes at his shipmate's expense, 
And he will have no stranger his galley inside ; 
He keeps his own billet with pleasure and pride. 

Chorus : — We sing not, etc. 
His bearing is careless, his carriage is loose — 
He thinks every man but himself is a goose ; 
He goes in his shirt, he does not wear a jacket, 
Except when he goes for a drunk or a racket. 

Chorus: — We sing not, etc. 
On the birth-deck he comes, through the cooks does he run, 
All their coffees and hash does he taste one by one. 
He inspects all their coffees, their hash and their beans, 
But he has to keep wide of the gallant marines. 

Chorus : — We sing not, etc. 



32 



JACK 
Contented and Merry 
Is Bostonbred Jerry, 

"With his trip he is well satisfied ; 
No more about deck 
Shall we see his bare neck, 

He remains in his galley with pride. 
Both early and late 
He has now got a mate, 

His spirits to keep in condition. 
The cooks and the Japs, 
They may pack up their traps ; 

They shall all be thrown out of 
commission. 

To their gain or their loss — 
Jerry Coughlin is boss, 
And the galley he rules as he 
wishes ; 
He is boss of the cans, 
And the pots and the pans, 
And the knives, and the forks and 
the dishes. 
The cooks who are there 
Do their work very fair, 
The Japs and the blacks and the 
yellows. 
They are civil and kind 
And their duties they mind, 
They are liked by the rest of the 
fellows. 
But they shall get the rout — 
They shall be done without, 
Jerry Coughlin can find better 
flunkeys. 
All their bags they shall pack 
They shall all get the sack: 
And their work done much better 
by monkeys. 
He has one on the ship 
Whom he booked for the trip, 
And this one is Jerry's third 
cousin. 
When some more are roped in, 
All the old cooks may skin ; 



KANE. 
And he has advertised for a dozen. 
The one he has got 
Is the first of the lot, 
And he does not take much to his- 
duty; 
He cannot wash a pan 
But he grabs all he can, 
And to Jerry he brings all the- 
booty. 
Our shipmates may laugh, 
But our fine cooking staff 
Shall be soon all supplanted by 
monkeys ; 
They will cook, boil and mix — 
And play hundreds of tricks, 
Till we all shall get sick of the 
flunkeys. 

The monkey he shipped 
Has his hair yet undipped; 
And his tail is not quite regula- 
tion. 
He is healthy and strong 
But his tail is too long — 
Though he be Jerry Coughlin's 
relation. 
I cannot tell his rate, 
But there's something not 
straight — 
In the way he got into commis- 
sion. 
He is booked as Jack Kane, 
Though his right name is 
Blaine ; 
He is full of conceit and ambi- 
tion. 
If he wants to stop here 
He must keep from the beer, 
He must rise out of chewing 
tobacco ; 
Keep his tail very clean — 
At his duties be seen, 
And we still may be good friends 
to Jacko. 



PAT MURPHY. 
From Waterford county in Ireland he came, 
To gather some Eagles his principal aim ; 
He lands in New York — not a job can he get 
But his heart was too brave to repine or to fret. 
Chorus: — As I can't get a job then I know what I'll do, 

I will go and enlist in the nary so blue ; 

There is nothing to fear, there is nothing to dread, 

While the stars and the stripes shall fly over my head. 
He made up his mind ; from the table he rose, 
And over to Brooklyn he turns his toes ; 
He walks down the navy yard careless and free — 
Having made up his mind for to take to the sea. 

Chorus:— As 1 can't get a job, etc. 
The big ship "Powhatan" now catches his eye. 
As he walks down the yard, she is lying close by ; 
So he spoke to the sentry who stood on the quay 
And inquired if they wanted young sailors to-day? 

Chorus: — As I can't get a job, etc. 
The sentry asked him was he fond of baked beans? 
And then he advised him to join the marines; 
Where up in the barracks the grub was so grand — 
And the beans were the best to be found in the land. 

Chorus : — As I can't get a job, etc. 
Our hero replies: "Though T am fond of beans" 
I will never enlist in the gallant marines ; 
So 1 will go aboard a blue sailor to be, 
I will go in the navy to plough the salt sea. 

Chorus:— As I can't get a job, etc. 
The doctor inspects him — poor Paddy is stripped — 
He passes the doctor and now he is shipped ; 
He was smart at his work, he was clean in his dress. 
And before many weeks he was boss of his mess. 

Chorus: — As I can't get a job, etc. 
He was reared for the church ; but he went to a fair — 
And got into a row with the constables there; 
It may be a lie ; but by some it was said : 
That he struck the big sergeant a blow on the head. 

Chorus: — As I can't get a job, etc. 
He was sacked from the church — he cannot be a priest, 
He was chased by the cavalry like a wild beast ; 
And straight to New York then, his way did he take — 
What a fine holy priest but for that would he make. 

Chorus : — As I can't get a job, etc. 
It was not like a priest to assault the police ; 
Or to go and commit any breach of the peace ! 



34 

Though Saint Peter, they say, cut an officer's ear; 
But the Saint had a pull and got out of it clear. 

Chorus :— As I can't get a job, etc. 
Not a pull had poor Paddy — he had got to fly, 
For his name was in print in the black Hue and Cry ; 
To the scenes of his youth does he now show his tail — - 
For he wanted no lodgings in Waterford jail. 

Chorus : — As I can't get a job, etc. 
And thus he got shipped in the gallant sea blues, 
And when Paddy Murphy had finished his cruise ; 
With one hundred gold eagles wound up in his fob, 
He shall never again have to look for a job. 

Chorus : — As I can't get a job, etc. 

THE OFFICER OF THE DECK'S SONG. 
(Supposed to be sung- once in four hours at sea, by the officer of the deck: 
and chorused by the watch on deck). 
Strike eight bells, call the watch, relieve the wheel and chain, 
Won't we have a jolly time, when we get home again ! 
When we get back to Norfolk town, to Brooklyn and New York, 
To Boston and to Waterford, to Dublin and to Cork; 
To the scenes of our young boyhood by the Shannon and the Boyne r 
The Hudson and the Delaware, the Oder and the Rhine. 
We'll tell of all the fun we had aboard this bonnie ship, 
We'll tell of all the sharks we killed in this West Indian trip ; 
Of all the nigger governors who came to us in state- — 
Of all the sweet bananas and the oranges we ate. 
Of the sweet West Indian girls all, the fairest of the fair, 
With their coaxing eyes and faces, and their curled wooly hair ; 
Of all the mighty waves we ploughed and seas that we sailed o'eiv 
Of all the fun we used to have when we would jump ashore. 
Of all the strange and distant lands on which we laid our eyes, 
And we'll ornament our stories with a bordering of lies. 
And if this country goes to war with England or with Spain, 
Oh ! won't we fight the haughty Dons upon the Spanish main \, 
And if we meet an English ship, we'll give her lots of ball! 
We'll blow her up to blazes or the whole of us will fall. 
The castle of Havana we will burn up with shell; 
And we'll blow the Dons and Daigoes all to heaven or to helL 
If we escape our enemies and we get home again, 
We'll boast of all the mighty deeds we did upon the main ; 
Of all the haughty Spanish Dons whom we laid in their gore, 
And if we take an English ship we'll swear we took a score. 
Oh! what a jolly time we'll have when we get home again, 
Strike eight bells, call the watch, relieve the wheel and chain. 

NOTE.— The first two lines of this song, which are also the two last, are- 
not original. I do not know who composed them, but I have heard the 



35 

THE CRUISE OF THE 

POWHATAN" AND SIEGE OF CARTMAGENA, 

(In verse). 

NORFOLK. 



Two months at Norfolk did we lie, 

And quicklv did the good time 
ny; 

We never felt the time pass by. 

The months like moments quick- 
ly flew — 

It was the winter season too ; 

And though the northwind often 
blew, 

Of cold we seldom could com- 
plain ; 

And although we had too much 
rain, 

We had good times and knew no 
pain. 

The best part of our jolly crew ; 

Yeomen, soldiers, jackets blue, 

Firemen, landsmen, brave and 
true ; 

Would at their tables fondly tell — 

How they liked Norfolk very 
well. 

There is some charm in the place 

Which brightens up the sailor's 
face; 

But sometimes makes of him a 
case. 

While at that navy yard we lay 

Ashore we went each other day, 

Though for each trip we had to 

pay; 

But money never did we heed 
We left the navy yard with speed ; 
Intent on business, indeed ! 
On pleasure should I rather say. 
We took the boat without delay, 
In Portsmouth never would we 

stay; 
The ferry quickly did we cross — 
For beer our pennies did we toss, 
Regardless of our pockets loss ; 
For anchored safe in some saloon 



Which we would seldom leave- 
too soon, 

Our pockets quickly came to ruin. 

And if we were not quite bereft 

And had another dollar left, 

To Church street — we our foot- 
steps bent ; 

Where to the Theatre we went 

And thus a quarter more was 
spent. 

No doubt the play is worth the 
cash — 

Good money goes for coarser 
trash ; 

I'll go no further— 'twould be 
rash. 

I mean not all nor yet a few 

Of the "Powhatan's" jolly crew; 

Who such a course ashore pur- 
sue. 

The play is over now at last! 

The people out the doors have 
passed ; 

Where now will Jack his anchor 
cast? 

Will he take lodgings for the 
night? 

Yes; he will sometimes do the 
right ; 

But other times he will get 
tight; 

From tasting quite too many- 
drops — 

In Norfolk's beer and spirit; 
shops ; 

He now is collared by the cops ! 

And to the station house is 
brought, 

His monk bag by the cops is- 
sought — 

His pennies now are down to- 
nought. 



36 



He wakes about the rise of 

sun, 
And thinks he hears the morn- 
ing gun — 
And feels he has had too much 

fun. . 
Two shipmates who were thus 

confined ; 
Not being quite restored to mind, 
Could not their even bearings 

find. 
One thought he heard three bells 

to go — 
And called out to his shipmate, 

Joe! 
""Arise; lash hammocks, come 

on deck!" 
He chucked poor Joe upon the 

neck — 
And knocked him off the cold 

hard bed ; 
Where Joe had lain his fevered 

head. 
"What ails you Joe! at all, at 

all, 
Don't you hear Frank Gillespie's 

call?" 
Joe finds his feet and makes one 

drive — 
And though half dead and half 

alive, 
On Bill's face he leaves fingers 

five; 
Who draws his fist and squares 

his chest — 
And slings his wrist and strikes 

his best ; 
And lays one blow on Joseph's 

breast. 
They both are sick and sad and 

sore, 
Were seldom in such plight be- 
fore ; 
The cops upon the corridor 
Charge in to see what is the row, 
To see what is the matter now! 



And in derision do they bow. 
They bow to Joe, they bow to 

Bill, 
Who if they only had their will ; 
Would dash the cops against the 

ground; — 
And tresh them well, and tight 

and sound ; 
But Bill and Joe can do no more, 
What good are two against a 

score. 
The coppers swear, the sailors 

damn , 
When on the scene appears 

Mayor Lamb ; 
A man who though he does not 

preach — 
Some moral lessons yet will teach. 
He fines them twenty dollars 

each! 
Their uncle now comes to their 

aid, 
And in i hree hours the fines are 

paid ; 
They are released — they walk 

away, 
And vow no more to go astray — 
No more in tavern to stay. 
But ere they go aboard the ship, 
They take one last and final sip ; 
And in one final beer they dip. 
They fondly drink their final 

dram, 
They drink the health of Uncle 

Sam; 
The cops of Norfolk, and Mayor 

Lamb. 

Although such hard knocks do 

they get, 
They never do repine or fret ; 
Their crosses manfully are met ! 
They think not of a hurt or fine- 
Such things are in the sailor's 

line. 
A sailor never will repine, 



37 



He goes to work next day as 

fresh 
As if he was not made of flesh ; 
As if he never nothing lost. 
Next week upon the deep he's 

tossed; 
Upon the Arctic in the frost! 
Where he is frozen with the cold . 
But little heeds the seaman bold, 
Or in the Indies in the heat — 
The sailor tranquilly will meet 
The heat of the West Indian 

sun, 
The risk of any foeman's gun, 
The glitter of a foeman's steel — 
For fear he is not known to feel. 
He fears no cold, he fears no 

heat, 
He feels no danger he may meet ; 
He runs all risks however great, 
And all results he leaves to fate . 
He loves the dangers of the seas ; 
He fears no storm, gale or breeze, 
And runs the risk of bad disease. 
Where he knows fear — I'll try to 

tell, 
He fears no devil nor no hell ! 
But he believes in Heaven high — 
And hopes to go there bye and 

bye, 
And honestly intends to try. 
Of Heaven, he has firm hope — 
And for that object pulls a rope, 
And sometimes gives the chap- 
lain soap. 
For men in black he has respect 
No matter what their creed or 

sect; 



He has no strong belief in hell , 
Still hopes in Heaven high to 

dwell, 
And pulls some ropes for this 

reward ; 
We must conclude he fears the 

Lord. 

The Christmas and New Year are 

past — 
The winter time is flying fast ; 
And twenty rumors are afloat, 
As to the future of our boat. 
' 'For Brooklyn city we are bound, 
For Newport, up Long Island 

Sound ; 
We are to sail the world around." 
For Washington we are to sail, 
There to be present without fail ; 
For some great business of state 
I think it was to celebrate 
A change of rulers in the land, 
The navy was to lend a hand : 
By marching in procession grand 
In honor of our chiefs of state ; 
The present ruler and the late. 
But all these rumors proved un- 
true ; 
No man aboard the vessel knew 
The course our ship was to pur- 
sue. 
At length a telegram comes down 
From Washington to Norfolk 

town; 
We are told to prepare for sea — 
In two days we must ready be ; 
Upon the tenth we are to sail 
For San Domingo without fail. 



THE "POWHATAN" LEAVES NORFOLK. 



The tenth of January has come, 

With bugle note and beat of 
drum ; 

We leave sweet Norfolk town be- 
hind, 

The hot West Indian sun to find. 



town 



We sail from Norfolk 

away, 
With courage high and spirits 

gay; 
But this was not the case with 

some, 



38 



For some were spiritless and 

dumb; 
And went to sea with much 

regret 
Their hearts were in sweet Nor- 
folk yet. 
They would look back, and sigh 

and pause, 
And on their palms would lean 

their jaws ; 
For Norfolk's fair ones were the 

cause- 
Norfolk's fair ones had them 

won: 
Their hearts were turned and 

undone; 
They loathe the fine West Indian 

sun. 
And two marines among the 

crowd — 
Were wholly and entirely bowed ; 
Their hearts seemed broken with 

regret ! 
They wished once more ashore to 

'get. 
In Portsmouth lived their ladies 

fair, 
With dark and curled wooly hair, 
But now their hearts are cold 

and bare. 
Our two marines were sad at 

heart — 
With their dark fair ones thus 

to part; 
When passing Portsmouth bridge 

they sighed: 
From their loves they are parted 

wide. 
Their loves are sadly crossed 

and barred 
They gaze upon the sawyer's 

yard; 
Their joy, their happiness is 

marred ! 
Their loves for them shall have 

to wait, 



Until the winds and waves of 

fate- 
Shall bring the ship "Powhatan"" 

back. 
Perhaps their fair ones may not 

lack 
The comfort of some other loves; 
We hope so for the raven 

doves. 

By Hampton Roads we quickly 

steam , 
Virginia's plains on either beam ; 
How lovely does the country 

look; 
Virginia is an open book. 
We enter now the open sea ; 
The broad Atlantic wide and 

free. 
We pass Cape Henry on our 

right, 
With pleasure see its burning 

light; 
We pass it early in the night. 
We now are on the Ocean wide — 
Our noble vessel heaves with 

pride, 
And ploughs the Ocean's surg- 
ing tide; 
We skip the waves with sail and 

steam, 
And soon are in the hot Gulf 

Stream — 
Still southward points our ves- 
sel's prow, 
The winter cold is over now ; 
We were quite cold a day ago, 
In Norfolk we had frost and 

snow! 
But now upon the open sea, 
We feel as warm as can be. 
The sky is sunny, clear and 

light— 
The sun is shining hot and 

bright ; 
But only for a day and night. 



Before we were two days at sea, 
The breakers with our decks 

were free, 
The wind rose high and hard it 

blew — 
Upon our noble ship and crew ; 
The breakers of the heaving 

tide, 
Burst in each moment o'er the 

side — 
And fell in floods upon our decks, 
And wet our heads and wet our 

necks. 
Each moment the wild waters 

rose, 
And very quickly drenched our 

clothes ; 
The ship sank low and then rose 

high, 
The clouds sat heavy on the sky. 
A nauseous feeling came on some, 
They felt quite dizzy, queer and 

dumb ; 
They stretched themselves down 

at full length, 
Deprived of spirit, nerve and 

strength ; 
And feel so heartless lost and 

gone, 
Their faces look so pale and wan. 
When spoken to they will not 

speak — 
They feel so heavy and so weak, 
And lie quite helpless on the 

ground ; 
But they will sometimes make a 

bound — 
And run quite crazy to the side, 
And throw their rations in the 

tide. 
Many of Jerry's best cooked 

dishes 
Went to the skarks and smaller 

fishes ; 
Poor Scissors was a doleful case, 
He had the sickness in his face ; 



Upon the deck he helpless lay — 
From sunrise to the close of day, 
Except when he would make a 

jump, 
When all his rations he should 

dump 
Into the Ocean in a lump ! 
Once while thus running with 

his load — 
Tom Connors happened in his 

road, 
And Scissors running his big 

best — 
He knocked poor Connors on the 

chest ; 
Upon the deck the two then fell 
And Connors did not feel quite 

well ; 
And both their visages were bat- 
tered, 
A.nd their ships rations wide 

were scattered; 
From this collision thus they 

tumbled ! 
Against them Patrick Nolan 

stumbled. 
The ship was heaving high and 

wild, 
With pumped up food the decks 

were spoiled. 
The two got on their feet at last, 
Their eyes about they wildly cast, 
And fixed them on the ladder 

fast; 
Then for the birth deck made a 

drive 
And gained it though but half 

alive ; 
So many sick were seldom seen, 
Aboard a ship three years I've 

been — 
And never saw it so before, 
And hope to see it so no more. 
The sickness I could not escape, 
For in it there is no red tape ; 
I never felt so bad before, 



40 



Or since I joined the gallant 

corps ; 
In this ,queer state I helpless lay 
For very nearly half the day; 
When I stood up refreshed and 

well — 
And hope such tale no more to tell. 

So sails along our gallant ship, 

The mighty waves we proudly 
skip, 

Our onward course we well pur- 
sue — 

And we are in the trade winds 
too: 



The trade winds blow a pleasant 

breeze, 
They cool the air of tropic seas ; 
So cool, salubrious and sweet; 
They neutralize the awful heat 
Which we shall in the tropics 

meet. 
The balmy breezes sweetly blow, 
And onwards proudly do we go ; 
With watch on deck and watch 

below. 
Like all who live upon the 

deep, 
We never get a full night's 

sleep. 



THE WATCHES, BOATSWAIN'S, MATES AND MASTER- 
AT-ARMS. 

On deck they are awake indeed . 
They sleep four hours — Bob 



When in our hammocks sleeping 

sound — 
We have to give a nimble bound, 
When Frank Gillespie gives the 

call: 
"Arise, arise, the port watch, all! 
Arise, ye sleepers, quick arise 
And shake the sleep from off 

your eyes , 
Get up and gaze upon the skies; 
Arise, arise, arise and shine, 
And muster— muster in a line ! 
Upon the deck your faces show, 
The starboard watch, may go 

below." 
The starboard watch , go to their 

beds; 
Thereon to lay their weary heads, 
And in five minutes are asleep — 
The brave disciples of the deep! 
Into their hammocks give one 

bound, 
And soon are lost in slumber 

sound. 
They fall asleep with treble speed 
Because their rest they sorely 



Whitcombe cries : 
"The starboard watch, awake! 

arise — 
Arise, and get upon your feet ; 
Arise, your four hours work to 

meet; 
Arise, arise, to wash the decks ; 
Take care, don't fall and break 

your necks." 
It is the early hour of four. 
The port watch, down the ladder 

pour ; 
To go to sleep for three hours 

more. 
The starboard watch, the ladder 

mount — 
Four hours on deck they have 

to count, 
A cup of coffee each they get — 
Their hearts to cheer, their 

lungs to wet ; 
They would have ' something 

better yet. 
But in it they have got no 



41 



The seamen have not got a 

choice — 
In matters of their food and 

drink ; 
For if they had, I more than 

think 
Their coffee would not be so poor ; 
It should be mixed with some- 
thing pure. 
I know for certain fact that some 
Would swap their coffee for their 

rum; 
And such men are not reckoned 

dumb. 
A sup of grog their hearts would 

warm, 
And give more strength to nerve 

and arm ; 
And never do them any harm. 
But our good uncle rules the 

ranche, 
By land and sea, both root and 

branch ; 
The biggest ship, the smallest 

launch. 
He has thought fit, it seems, that 

we — 
Should drink but coffee while at 

sea; 
We must submit, we are not free ! 
The .starboard watch, the vessel 

keep — 
And all the port watch, are 

asleep ; 
The paddles work, the trade 

winds blow, 
And proudly onwards do we go. 
The wind is blowing cool and 

strong, 
And gallantly we sail along ; 
All hands are working hard and 

fast — 
At yard and sail, and rope and 

mast, 
Running here and running there 
The decks all over everywhere ; 



All things going smooth and 
square. 

The chief of all the working 

crowd — 
Who speaks so plainly and so 

_ loud! ' 

With good lungs having been 

endowed ; 
Is Frank Gillespie, boatswain's 

mate, 
Which is a sailor's highest rate, 
A man of knowledge, skill and 

weight, 
A great old mariner is he — 
He has been fifty years at sea, 
Was in the navy through the war ; 
But one fault did his progress 

mar! 
He was a little fond of grog 
Which put a stopper in his log ; 
The whole wide world has he 

seen ; 
Twice a boatswain has he been, 
He now gets all the duty done, 
He makes the others pull and 

run 
By moonlight, and by light of 



Three hours have passed, six 

bells are struck ; 
The hour is seven by the clock, 
And Thomas Dempsey gives the 

call! 
"Arise, arise, lash hammocks all : 
Bring up your hammocks lashed 

and tied, 
And stow them on the vessels 

side." 
John Holland gets upon his feet, 
And does this order loud repeat ; 
So loud, he nearly strains his 

neck! 
He is commander on the deck. 
A grand old sailor too is he — 



42 



Was three times nearly lost at sea ; 
Upon the " Huron" he had been 
The night that she no more was 

seen; 
That night, the breakers wild he 

braved, 
And he got numbered with the 

saved. 

All hands jump up, their ham- 
mocks lash, 
Run up the ladders in a crash— 
And fling them in the nettings 

wide ; 
Which are upon the vessels side. 
The morning now is getting late, 
It wants a half an hour of eight ; 
And Robert Whitcombe, boat- 
swain's mate — 
Blows his whistle loud and sings : 
" Ye cooks, sret readv all the 



things ; 



, get ready all the 



Your tables lay, your coffee get, 
And all your cups and saucers 
set," 

It is no sooner said than done, 
The birth deck cooks are on the 

run — 
They get the cups, the tables lay, 
The port watch sit, and fire away. 

Eight bells are struck, the 

watches changed, 
The port watch on the deck is 

ranged ; 
The starboard watch, sit down to 

eat — 
Their bread, their coffee and 

their meat, 
The port watch now is on the 

run 
At mast and rigging; rope and 

gun. 



Three bells are struck— to quart- 
ers all; 

Both watches in division fall ! 

Three bells are struck— the trum- 
pet blows ! 

Each man to his division goes. 

Three bells are struck — the drum 
is beat ! 

Each man aboard is on his feet 

His officer and gun to meet. 

Three bells are struck— 'tis half- 
past nine; 

The companies are all in line. 

Each man aboard is in his place — 

His country's enemies to face ; 

And each is stationed at a gun, 

Prepared for battle, drill or fun. 

War's dangers we have got to 
chance, 

Along ihe deck just take a 
glance ; 



QUARTERS. 



Now at the quarterdeck's port 

side, 
The soldiers stand in all their 

pride! 
All danger they are here to brunt, 
Each man is looking to his front ; 
With his good musket in his 

hand — 
To fight for his adopted land; 
Or native land too — it may be ! 
But we will look at them and see. 
Eleven Irish and four Dutch, 
Ten Americans and two Scotch ; 
A Cockney, with an Irish name 
Who swears that he from London 

came, 
And a Bavarian, with three v's 
Who looks so free and at his ease ; 
And one Canadian smart and 

clean — 
Who at the cabin door is seen. 



43 



So there are thirty men all told, 
The ship in order good to hold ; 
There should be thirty-three by 

right — 
But one deserted and took flight , 
From Norfolk on a rainy night. 
Our soldiers thus we often loose . 
Two more are putting down a 

cruise ; 
In hospital at Norfolk town — 
Their time they easily put down. 

Around their guns the sailors 

stand ! 
In peace or war to give a hand ; 
For native or adopted land. 
Each man on deck is here to 

fight! 
For flag, for liberty and right ; 
Against all foreign monarchs 

might. 
No foreign navy do they fear; 



And they will sell their freedom 

dear. 
The first lieutenant says: "Re- 
treat!" 
And his big drum, does Baxter 

beat; 
The companies take to their 

feet, 
The starboard watch, go down 

below, 
The port watch, to their pulling 

go; 
Their muscles on the ropes to 

throw. 
They pull, they pull, they drag 

and haul: 
Sailors, landsmen, soldiers all ! 
Before the trade winds still we 

sail — 
The good winds blowing half a 

gale; 
And almost on the vessel's tail. 



THE TURK ISLANDS. 
(Passed on January 17th, 1885.) 



We now are seven days at sea, 
And with us does it well agree, 
We never breathed purer air ; 
Nor felt a breeze so sweet and 

fair, 
Than in the tropics now we feel ; 
Yet, onward cuts our vessel's 

keel. 
At sea, we now are just a week; 
All eyes for land impatient seek ; 
And land, dry land is seen at last 
By the lookout upon the mast. 
And all eyes instantly are cast — 
Upon the waters wide and blue ; 
And plainly with the glass seen 

through, 
They see a light-house tall and 

white, 
And almost shining with the 

light; 
A pleasing and a welcome sight. 



And soon the land about is seen, 
An island small; but fresh and 

green— 
And owned by England's mighty 

queen. 
We sail close by the little isle, 
More near perhaps, than half a 

mile; 
And see the light-house — white 

and clear; 
With but one dwelling lying near 
Alongshore closely do we steer. 
We see another island too — 
Arising o'er the ocean blue ! 
And one name do both islands 

bear, 
And one flag do both islands rear ; 
The Union Jack o'er both are 

hauled, 
And the " Turk Islands," they 
are called. 



44 

PUERTA PLATTA. 
(Passed on January 18th, 1885.) 
The fair Turk Islands we pass 

by, 

And soon see nought but sea and 

sky; 
We sail all night — at dawn of 

day, 
We see high mountains far away ! 
And in two hours we are close 

And we heave too very nigh ; 
Perhaps, a quarter of a mile, 
And this is not a little isle. 
We see large mountain ridges 

plain, 
Arising from the wavy main ; 
One range quite overhangs the 

strand — 
Of this delightful sunny land. 
The peaks stand very high in 



the ocean wide and 
to this island 



And there are valleys in the rear : 
Beyond the valleys then arise 
Another range of equal size ; 
Another line of valleys now, 
Before the mountain ranges bow ! 
A very long and narrow plain, 
And then another mountain 

chain ; 
A wildly grand romantic place, 
Our vision can no more embrace. 

San Domingo, we behold \ 

Land of fruit and wealth un- 
told, 

Land of silver and of gold ; 

Most ancient land of this new 
world. 

The christian cross was here un- 
furled — 

And reigned triumphant here 
alone ; 

While yet the mainland was un- 
known ! 

For in fourteen and ninety-two , 



From o'er 

blue ; 
The Spaniards 

came — 
Led by a man of endless fame, 
I need not now repeat his name. 
That name with honor should we 

sound ! 
The man who proved the world 

round, 
And all our noble states did 

found ; 
Led by his mighty brain and 

hand — 
San Domingo's sunny land ! 
With mountains hanging o'er its 

strand, 
Became the property of Spain; 
First island of the Spanish 

main, 
The Holy Cross commenced to 

reign. 
Through peace and war, it reigns 

there still! 
In city, valley and on hill. 

I said our vessel was hove to, 
And this is Sunday morning- 

too; 
The sun is sweetly shining 

down — 
Upon that pleasant little town ; 
A little town well known to fame I 
" Puerta Platta," is its name. 
Two short hours here we only 

spend , 
A boat ashore we merely send ; 
The boat does not stop long 

away, 
She quickly comes without delay ; 
And for Cape Haytien town we 

sail — 
Where we expect to get our 
mail. 



CAPE HA 
(Entered on January 19th 
We sail along at half our power, 
Or barely at four knots an hour; 
As we cannot make port to-day 
We slaken speed to make delay, 
And leisurely pursue our way. 
We do not enter ports at night — 
We always wait for morning's 

light; 
So we will spend the night out- 
side ; 
Upon the ocean broad and wide, 
And enter with the morning's 
tide. 

The slow night's steaming now 

is past ; 
The morning's light has come at 

last! 
We see Cape Haytien city now, 
And towards it bend our vessel's 

prow. 
We see the mountains and the 

town — 
The blessed sun is shining down. 
Into the harbor do we steam, 
We all feel as if in a dream ; 
So bright and grand do all things 

seem. 
Our vessel's motion soon is 

stopped — 
And both our anchors quickly 

dropped ! 
Off shore we are a half a mile, 
And all things on us seem to 

smile. 
Alongside comes a bumboat 

soon, 
It is the burning hour of noon ; 
The bumboats are indeed a boon. 
All of our jolly boys and men 
Charge on the bumboats there 

and then , 
And lots of cash is cprickly spent ; 
Two oranges sell for one cent. 



45 

YTIEN CITY. 

AND LEFT JANUARY 30th, 1885.) 

For five cents six bananas go. 

The gangway now is crowded so ; 

To buy we scarcely have a show, 

And the bananas are so good, 

So pleasant and so sweet a food ; 

So full of strength and yet so 
sweet — 

That after them we use no meat ; 

At table nothing can we eat. 

Three times a day, the bumboats- 
come, 

And every man aboard buys- 
some; 

Till we get tired of them at last, 

And oranges about are passed — 

From one to one like turf are 
cast. 

It was the third day of our stay 
In beautiful Cape Haytien bay, 
Where snugly we at anchor lay ; 
Some of our shipmates cast a. 

line — 
Of very strong and firm twine ; 
Into the water o'er the side, 
Into the hot West Indian tide. 
A hook was fixed upon the line ' 
With a small piece of waxed 

twine, 
And on that hook was fixed a. 

bait — 
Of tender meat two pounds in 

weight ; 
The, bait was large, and fresh and 

"sweet, 
A most delicious piece of meat — 
And offered as a tender treat 
To any fish who may pass by ; 
They are invited all to try 
This dainty piece of sailor's pie. 
And floating o'er it is a cork. 
What noise is that on deck? oh! 

hark ! 
The pie is swallowed by a shark \ 



46 



The shark has dived and rolled 

and rolled, 
Upon the rope the sailors hold ; 
The shark shows up his awful 

jaws — 
His fatal teeth, his horrid maws ; 
More fatal than a tigers paws. 
The sailors all around combine, 
They hold the lucky piece of line ; 
No more on sailor shall he dine. 
The captain fires a musket shot, 
The shark has got it hard and 

hot- 
By nis intended victims caught. 
A second shot the captain fires ; 
The shark is struck — but never 

tires ; 
Uut struggles like a death-on- 

wires. 



A third shot strikes him on the 

head — 
The water with his blood is red ; 
But still our shark is far from 

dead; 
One more shot lays him in his 

gore, 
He cannot struggle any more ; 
His case indeed is very sore. 
His hunt for man this day has 

failed, 
Beside the gangway he is trailed ; 
And from the water he is slung — 
And by the gangway he is hung, 
And thrown on deck his foes 

among ; 
On sailor flesh, his kind is fed. 
But he is fallen — cold and dead ; 
And let his blood be on his head. 



THE GOVERNOR OF CAPE HAYTIEN. 



(January 
A funny treat this day had 

we: 
More than we thought we'd ever 

see; 
For we were ordered in full 

dress, 
The reason, we could only guess. 
A boat from shore is coming 

near, 
And for our gangway does she 

steer ; 
Upon the quarterdeck we stand 
To do the honors of our land. 
On deck our visitors appear ; 
Oar stately visitors are here, 
The mighty ruler of the place- 
Is now before us face to face. 
The ruler of the town and land; 
His dress is flashy, gay and 

grand, 
And with him is a gallant band; 
They all look brilliant and alive, 
The ruler and his comrades five. 



23d, 1885.) 
But there was something in the 

scene— 
To keep its recollection green ; 
One glance into the ruler's face 
Shall tell his origin and race, 
And that of his companions too: 
They all were of the sable hue; 
Which in all latitudes and places 
Proclaims a difference of races. 
Their dress so dazzling, fresh 

and light — 
Looked yet more beautiful and 

bright, 
For that their faces were not 

white. 

They and their people all are 

free, 
They rule this island of the sea; 
The white men here no longer 

reign, 
The haughty chiefs of France 

and Spain, 



47 



Upon this island have no say, 
They have been driven all away ; 
The people bask in freedom's 
day: 

TARGET PRACTICE 
(January 
We had some target practice 

here, 
The day was beautiful and clear; 
A little raft with sail and mast — 
Out o'er the vessel's side is cast ; 
In fact, a little man-of-war. 
Its banner was a sable star, 
Brushed on the sail with heavy 

tar, 
As black as any parsons robe ; 
Its shape was round just like a 

globe. 

This raft a little off is placed, 
A little fire it has to taste — 
And this is in Cape Haytien bay ; 
The sailors aim and fire away. 
They fire on slowly one by one 
Each man aboard enjoys the fun, 
And each m turn gets his gun . 
They fire, they fire, they fire all 

day, 
Some hit and some strike far 

away ; 
And all enjoy it like a play. 
The little raft gets many blows, 
But still her banner black she 

shows : 



No more shall they be sold like 

sheep, 
And long may they their freedom 

keep. 

AT CAPE HAYTIEN. 
29th, 1885.) 
But in the end she has to fall : 
The fierce and fatal musket ball 
Has made its havoc sharp and 

rude; 
The target has to be renewed. 
The firing now goes on once 

more, 
The sable banner suffers sore ; 
The whole ship's company has 

fired — 
The little man-of-war is tired. 

The soldiers fired the very last, 
At the poor target did they blast ; 
Some of them hit the little mast, 
It had got many blows all day — 
And now from Private Tim 

O'Shea, 
Two heavy bullets does it get: 
The little raft is soon upset ; 
And fifty of the jackets blue — 
Has pierced the target through 

and through, 
We clean our guns and go below, 
And in the rack our muskets 

throw ; 
Content that we have threshed 

the foe. 



TARGET PRACTICE AT SEA. 

(January 31st, 1885.) 



For just eleven days we lay 
At anchor, in Cape Haytien bay, 
We hoist our sails and sail away. 
We gaily skip the waters o'er, 
In view of San Domingo's shore ; 
Next day our vessel is laid to, 
Some target practice more to do ; 



But with no muskets shall we 

play, 
Upon the target black to-day : 
To-day. with our great guns we'll 

try- . 
To pierce the fatal bull's black 

eye. 



48 



The heavy guns on our port side 
Upon the target shall be tried ; 
The crews all by their pieces 

stand — 
With water, shell and rope in 

hand; 
The target is a mile away, 
And now the guns begin to play ; 
They fire away the bursting shell, 
And often does their firing tell. 
The seamen fire with steady aim 
They are accustomed to the 

game ; 
What they are at, right well they 

know — 



Close by the raft the charges 

go. 
The best shot which was fired 

to-day — 
Which nearly tore the mast 

away; 
Fired with the best and truest- 
aim, 
From port gun, number four it 

came ; 
Tom Collins is the gunner's 

name. 
All hands enjoyed the pleasant 

sport ; 
Our guns secured, we enter port. 



SAINT NICHOLAS' MOLE. 



Built on a large and spacious 

bay, 
Without a ship, or boat or 

quay ; 
The village of Saint Nicholas' 

lay: 
No other life we see around, 
Green hills— our small horizon 

bound. 
This little place is called a 

port, 
And on its shore we see a fort ; 
And in the fort two gaps we 

see; 
Some man-of-war must have 

made free 
And fired some heavy shells or 

balls ; 
And made these gaps upon the 

walls; 
But whether it was ball or shell, 
Or accident I cannot tell. 
While here, we did not see a 

soul ; 
We only heard the bells to toll. 

When we were here two years 
before, 



A host of soldiers lined the 

shore ; 
There were a thousand men or 

more. 
They thought we came to take 

the town ; 
To pull the flag of Hayti down. 
They watched us well both night 

and day — 
And when our vessel sailed 

away, 
The church bells with great joy 

were rung ; 
And the Te Deum hymn was 

sung. 
The people here are very queer — 
And yield it seems to groundless 

fear , 
We would not trespass on their 

land ; 
But this they did not under- 
stand, 
And always keep an armed hand. 
For four and twenty hours we 

stay, 
No longer here would we delay ; 
We see no life, no sport, nor 

play. 



49 



PORT AU 

We leave Saint Nicholas behind, 
A nobler, grander place to find ; 
We sail the ocean deep and 

blue, 
And this is Sunday evening too : 
The first of February, eighty-five ; 
The windward passage down we 

drive. 
Next morning, what a sight we 

see — 
The hills of Hayti— high and 

free ; 
From off the green and briney 

- tide, 
We see the hills so green and 

wide; 
And mountains high on either 

side. 
Both hills and harbor are im- 
mense ; 
We anchor — this is Port au 

Prince. 

At Port au Prince we anchored 

lie — 
And lovely is the sunny sky ; 
We are a good way off the 

strand — 
We are two English miles from 

land ; 
Upon the bosom of the bay, 
And all around looks bright and 

gay. 

We see the pleasant Indian town, 
And mountains which smile on 

us down ; 
But as we are not anchored near, 
We cannot see the city clear. 
We see the small boats make 

their way — 
By oar or sail, across the bay ; 
Ashore, we hear the church bells 

ring : 
We see bright birds upon the 

wing. 



PRINCE. 

The church bells sing their 

solemn song; 
Their grave, their solemn,, sweet 

ding dong! 
The sound of which we all know 

well; 
Where is the man who cannot 

tell— 
The sound of church or chapel 

bell. 
The sacred sound, we love to 

hear, 
Though far the shore— the sound 

is clear; 
We almost think the church 

quite near. 
We've heard the solemn sound 

before, 
Four thousand miles away or 

more 
Across the ocean blue and wide- 
By Hudson, Lee or Shannon 

side. 

The bumboats to the gangway 

come, 
And of the fruit we all buy 

some ; 
Of it there is a mighty heap, 
And it is ripe, and sweet, and 

cheap ; 
And Titi is the boatman's name, 
A man who has acquired some 

Jame. 
We all had heard his name 

before, 
When far away from Hayti's 

shore, 
And all his fruit was very nice ; 
We bought it at Cape Haytien 

price. 
Some avocato pears he brought 
Which at a tariff low we bought ; 
Five cents for three was all we 

paid — 



50 



And Titi did a heavy trade ; 
A heavy roll of bills he made. 
He also sold a lot of limes — 
A big round dozen for two 

dimes, 
But much of them we did not get ; 
We had no place to keep them 

wet. 
If we had kettles, pans or pots, 
Of lime juice, we would all have 

lots; 
We would not let them pass us 

by— 
Our tongues would not be parched 

or dry ; 
But we had to submit to fate, 
As our convenience was not 

great. 
The cooks who had the pots and 

pans, 
Bought some— but not for all 

the hands; 
They had the lime juice tart and 

sweet, 
And sometimes shared it as a 

treat. 
But if a cater spent two dimes — 



And for his messmates bought 

some limes, 
And sugar brown to make it 

sweet ; 
All hands could have a cooling 

treat. 

At Port au Prince, eight days we- 

lay; 
The day before we sailed away, 
The ruler of the Haytien state 
With all his staff so grand and 

great ; 
In gayest dress, with belt and 

sword — 
The ship "Powhatan" came 

aboard. 
They looked so brilliant and so 

gay, 
And on the next succeeding day 
To this, grand visit of the chief, 
All hands dined on the sweetest 

beef, 
At the great President's expense. 
We never saw the equal since — 
Of the sweet bull of Port au 

Prince. 



PRESIDENT SOLOMON'S VISIT. 
(February 9th, 1885.) 
Our ship lies at anchor in Port au Prince bay ; 
The hot sun is shining, so bright and so gay — 
On the mountains and vales of this sun favored land, 
And the scene from our decks is enchanting and grand. 
The rays of the hot sun are fast pouring down, 
On mountain and valley — on harbor and town; 
A heat very common in this torrid zone , 
But which in our nothern climes is unknown. 

All the guns on the ship are transparently bright; 
All the planks of the deck are remarkably white, 
And the blue jackets all in their best are arrayed: 
They are up to the nines for some gallant parade. 
Our steam launch and two of our boats are away, 
They are off by the shore, they are fast by the quay; 
Where awaiting some visitors coming , they lie — 
And our sailors on watch keep a very close eye. 



51 

The launch and the boats having had a good stay — 
Back, back to the vessel, are making their way , 
Young Rehbein upon them has kept a close eye ; 
He sees the three boats o'er the waters to fly; 
And promptly young Rehbein reports that they coine, 
And Baxter is ordered to wallop his drum : 
And Graham is sent for, his bugle. to play; 
Oh! What is the cause of this bustle to-day? 

On the quarterdeck ranged all along the port side, 

Are the gallant marines in their glory and pride ; 

In their brilliant full dress with their brasses so bright — 

With their armour so clean, and their helmets so white. 

And their arms they stack ; but they still stand around, 

And each man is prepared to resume his own ground; 

And by this time the boats are the gangway beside, 

And the yards have been manned by the sailors with pride. 

To quarters, to quarters, each man to his gun ; 

All hands to their stations — how quickly they run: 

The marines are in line, and the silence is great — 

This must be some awful occasion of state. 

Out, out on the gangway, each man has his eye, 

Though they look to their front — they look there on the sly ; 

Very soon they find use for their wandering eyes : 

They are lost, they are lost in amaze and surprise. 

How they gaze on the gangway — a stranger is there, 
With whom in their eyes no one else could compare ; 
The ruler of Hayti ; her great man of might ; 
They gaze on a man of astonishing height. 
Hayti's proud ruler and chosen chief of state ; 
Solomon the President, the greatest of the great ; 
Strong, fearless ruler, so brave and so defiant — 
Hayti's grand chieftain ; her president and gaint. 

He stands on the deck in his splendor and pride, 
And soon his attendants are close by his side ; 
His attendants and he are most superbly dressed ; 
For this noble display they are all in their best. 
Some are in scarlet, and some are in blue — 
With stripes and with facings of every hue ; 
Of green, pink and yellow, of silver and gold, 
And all look so splendid; so gallant and bold. 

We used to admire the marine music band, 

We all thought that Baxter , the drummer, looked grand : 

But now he must quietly stand in the shade — 

When Solomon's staff walk the deck in parade. 



52 

They enter the cabin, in glory and pride, 

Each man in the staff has a sword by his side ; 

Each man in the staff has a sword at his hand, 

And that sword scarcely dry ; from the wars of the land. 

And there are three ladies of charms so rare, 
That nothing in Hayti with it can compare ; 
All sparkling with beauty, with wit and with life, 
And one of them is the great President's wife. 
And she looks so graceful, so winning, so sweet , 
With a face so bewitching ; it was quite a treat — 
To fellows like us in a ship so confined; 
Her beauty and grace we will long bear in mind. 

They say this sweet lady was born in France, 
Be it true, be it false— we could see at a glance 
Before she, on the deck half a second had stood, 
That she was not of the pure Haytien blood. 
For she was far paler than all of the rest , 
For which reason some of us liked her the best ; 
The other two ladies were beautiful two; 
But their type of beauty to us was quite new. 

But on that queer subject, we were not quite green ; 
For beauty like this we had oftentimes seen — 
In Norfolk, Virginia, and parts of New York; 
Though, we saw it never in Dublin or Cork. 
Their hair and their eyes were as black as a sloe, 
And their beautiful teeth, were far whiter than snow , 
And the hearts of the seamen at once would they win ; 
Had their nostrils and lips been a little more thin. 

But still they were beautiful, charming and grand, 
And they were the ladies-in-chief of the land; 
Of society, they were the centre and life ; 
These two ladies fair and the President's wife. 
The President's staff, looked so brilliant and gay; 
We doubt very much if in chivalry's day 
Such a sight could be seen in strong castle or hall, 
As all these fair ladies and gentlemen all. 

They mount and they walk on the hurricane deck, 

Upon their gay garments, there is not a speck ; 

They look all around on the mountain and bay, 

How lovely the scene which they gaze on to-day. 

They see the blue ocean, the hills and the town — 

And soon by the ladder they quickly come down; 

But the chieftain walked slow and kept a strong firm hold- 

The brave noble hero is now getting old. 



53 

And this is great Solomon, Hayti's proud chief, 
Whose name is well mingled with sad tales of grief ; 
Who has been no stranger to war's bloody hand — 
For war is quite common in this sunny land. 
A short year ago a rebellion arose ; 
But Solomon fought down and conquered his foes , 
And we hope for and wish him a long happy reign ; 
Over this sunny land of the blue Spanish main. 

He is very close upon seven feet high — 

Good humor and strength may be seen in his eye; 

He looks like a man who has never known fear. 

In some points the President has not a peer. 

He's a giant in breadth, and a giant in height, 

He's a giant in mind, and a gaint in might , 

For in his younger days he was stronger than five — 

And President Solomon yet is alive. 

He has good understanding for war, peace and law, 
His head is the largest that ever we saw ; 
His namesake, great Solomon, Israel's King, 
Who the praises of God in the temple did sing, 
Than whom no greater man could the world then find ; 
Had not half as much wisdom, or clearness of mind 
As the man whose appearance we now celebrate : 
Great Solomon, chief of the Haytien state. 

His bearing is stately, majestic and grand, 
He is well qualified to be lord of this land ; 
How happy the people on whom his face shines, 
Though sometimes his people fall under hard lines. 
But such must be so when rebellion and war, 
Devastate a fair land and all happiness mar ; 
But with Solomon's rule, all rebellion shall halt! 
Tor the wars which have been he was never in fault. 

He has had a long and a checkered career, 

But heeded no peril and scouted all fear; 

Rebellions in Hayti so often arose, 

He was most of his time in the midst of his foes. 

But lion in spirit, and eagle in soul, 

He has come out uninjured, unscathed and whole; 

He went through a deal in his manhood's young days ; 

But now he is monarch of all he surveys. 

In the country his enemies once had the sway, 
And our chief had to fly from the Island away; 



54 

Or the stroke of the axe, very soon should he feel. 
For his foes had determined 'his story to seal. 
His hash they would settle with rope or with ball, 
For it was so decreed by his enemies all ; 
But our hero escaped from the toils of his foes ; 
To the top of the hill from his exile lie rose. 

Twelve long years of exile in France did he spend. 
And there in Napoleon he met a good friend. 
In the city of Paris, he led a gay life, 
And there he first met with his beautiful wife. 
But he was not at home, and he never felt free — 
For his heart was away o'er the Western sea ; 
His heart was afar upon Hayti's green shore, 
Oh! Can the great exile return no more? 

For Hayti's green mountains his heart used to burn, 
But 'tis a long lane that has not got a turn ; 
The fair wheel of fortune has turned once more, 
And Solomon reigns upon Hayti's green shore. 
His foes are all vanquished, and he has full sway, 
And we have him aboard the " Powhatan " to-day; 
See the grand guard of honor upon him who wait — 
All his gay cavaliers in their grandeur and state. 

How they march on our decks in their trappings of pride,. 
And how proud must they feel by their President's side ; 
All the soldiers and blues have their eyes on them set, 
And this grand glorious day they can never forget. 
The scene of to-day, takes them all by surprise — 
And already has cured half a dozen sore eyes ! 
While we live on this earth from our minds shall not fade 
This giant and chief and this splendid parade. 

Yet, a feature still more of the scene will I trace — 
Though it has very little to do with the case, 
And had almost eluded my vigilant eye ; 
Although my location was very close by. 
And I had a good chance for an elegant view, 
The feature I mean was our visitor's hue ; 
Though without the least doubt a magnificent sight., 
Their faces withal were not perfectly white. 

The President's lady was white as could be, 
But she came from France o'er the Western sea ; 
But Solomon and all the rest of his train- 
Being born and bred in the blue Spanish main. 



55 

Where the hot Indian sun is so fierce and so bright, 
- That the people can seldom be perfectly white ; 
Although some people say that it is not the sun, 
But that by generation the color will run. 

Whether 'tis from the blood or the sun's awful heat, 
A white face in Hayti you seldom can meet ; 
The sun I imagine should make people white ; 
But Solomon does not look pale to the sight. 
The Caucasian whiteness his followers lack, 
And some of them are most decidedly black ; 
Like their African fathers who came o'er the sea, 
And Solomon's face is as black as can be. 

They have now been aboard for two long hours or more, 

The small boats are waiting to bring them ashore ; 

To the captain they now bid a final adieu, 

And with all the rest of the officers too. 

The marines give the chieftain a final present, 

And his head is uncovered and gracefully bent ; 

For a few seconds more on the deck do they stay, 

When they enter the boats and are soon under way. 

And the launch flies away, see how smoothly she runs, 
And that noise ? Billy Donovan firing the guns ! 
Twenty-one guns are fired for a parting adieu, 
And the sound goes afar on the ocean so blue. 
And the yards and the booms by the sailors are manned, 
While the launch and the cutters make hard for the land ; 
And the last gun is fired — its report being dead, 
The President smiles and uncovers his head. 

THE BULL. 

The boats are gone away So beautiful, so gallant, and so 

With the knights and ladies bright; 

gay, Such ladies fair and men 

With the mighty chief of Hayti We may never seen again : 

and his train ; For, by Jove ! they were a grand 

With the gallant knights and imposing sight. 

dames — 

Of the noblest blood and names, The officers and men 

To be found upon the sunny In the boats come back again, 

Spanish main. They left the mighty Solomon 

ashore : 

The boats have gone ashore And with hearts so light and 

And a noble train they bore, free — 



56 



We secure our guns for sea, 
Such grandeur we shall witness 
never more. 



The sun was going down 
Upon mountain, bay and town, 
And all hands were preparing 
quick to sail ; 
And steam was rising high, 
When a little ship comes nigh ; 
We plainly see the wagging of a 
tail. 



Being all inclined for fun, 
To the gangway do we run — 
To see what does the little 
steamer bring; 
We reck not mast or sail 
For our eyes are on the tail— 
We are told that 'tis a present 
from the King. 



With joy and with surprise, 
We overstrain our eyes ; 
But the owner of the tail we can- 
not see; 
The boatman gives a call, 
And asks us for a fall, 
Of his cargo highly anxious to be 
free. 

We throw him out a fall 
All hands begin to haul, 
For every one was mad to give 
a hand; 
We hoist from o'er the side — 
With pleasure and with pride, 
This present from the monarch 
of the land. 



Its bulk is very great 

And we feel a heavy weight ; 



Though every man aboard is on 
the pull; 
It comes upon the deck 
And it nearly breaks its neck, 
When Charlie Baxter swears that 
'tis a bull. 



Bartley Cook said 'twas a cow 
And there was nearly a row, 
And Private Eenfield he has got 
a rate ; 
He must have had a pull, 
He i s captain of the bull — 
Which we got from the chieftain 
of the state. 



They lash him to a gun — 
His race is nearly run, 
A' d in the morning thence he 
is released ; 
The butcher and the knife 
Put a period to his life. 
And on his flesh we are to have 
a feast. 

No salt horse stale or sour 
Do we get at dinner hour ; 
But the sweetest beef so tender 
and so rare. 
We ate the mighty bull 
Till our bellies are half full, 
And we'd eat two other bulls if 
they were there. 



May the Haytien hills be free 
From the pirates of the sea; 
From the admirals of England, 
France and Spain ; 
Long live the mighty chief 
Who sent this tender beef, 
And long on Hayti's mountains 
may he reign. 



57 



AUX CAYES, 
(Entered February 11th, and left next day, February 12th, 1885.) 



This is the eighth day of our 

stay, 
In Port au Prince's lovely bay, 
We put to sea, we are away ; 
We are upon the waves all night, 
And with the morning's blessed 

light- 
The Haytien hills again we 

sight. 
The glorious hills again we see, 
The Haytien mountains old and 

free; 
On which admiringly we gaze, 
And warm are the sun's bright 

rays, 
We're in the harbor of Aux 

Cayes. 

The bay is of a goodly size, 

We look about — we strain our 

eyes; 
We see the hills so grey and 

grand — 



Like all sweet Hayti's sunny 

land; 
But little sign of human kind, 
On our horizon do we find. 
We anchor and remain all 

night, 
And with the morning's welcome 

light; 
We up our anchor and away. 
Not one of us would wish to 

stay; 
And sailing out we backward 

gaze, 
And bid farewell to sweet Aux 

Cayes. 

Good bye, Aux Cayes, we'll call 

again, 
The ship " Powhatan" and her 

men 
Perhaps, again may see thy 

shore ; 
But I will never see you more. 



J AC MEL. 
(Entered and left on February 13th, 1885.) 



Along the Haytien coast we 

steam, 
Its mountains all upon our beam ; 
My pen could not their praises 

tell— 
And we are bound for sweet 

Jacmel. 
Along the charming coast we go : 
Our vessel's speed is very slow; 
We have no distance great to 

make, 
And so our time we slowly take. 
We cannot make our port to-day : 
At night we enter not a bay ; 
So we must keep from port away, 
And enter with the light of sun. 



Next morning, into port we 

run — 
We hear a Church's solemn bell, 
And this is beautiful Jacmel ; 
So sweet, so homely and so nice — 
A perfect little Paradise. 
Each house a palace seems to be. 
And all smile down upon the sea. 

Are they all nobles who live 

here ? 
Is every man a cavalier? 
We see no poor man's dwelling 

near 
Kich fruit grows thickly all 

around — 



58 



This lovely, fair and verdant 
ground. 

Our anchor here we are to drop , 

And for ten days we are to stop : 

At least so rumor said on deck; 

But rumor little should we reck. 

We asked Con Leary was it so; 

He promptly answered: "ship- 
mates, no! 

That story is a silly lie. 

Before two hours shall have 
passed by, 

To sea again our ship shall 
steam ; 

That yarn is an idle dream." 

A boat ashore, the captain sends: 
To see the consul and his friends: 



The boat returns from the shore ; 
Sweet Jacmel, we shall see no 

more 
Our paddle wheels are put in 

motion, 
And we are on the rolling ocean; 
Sweet Jacmel, lovely, sweet and 

fair, 
We leave with sadness on our 

rear. 
Our voyage we again pursue : 
Con Leary's prophecy was true ! 
And all the firemen, knew right 

well — 
We should not stop at sweet 

Jacmel, 
We should our trip continue on: 
The firemen knew it all from Con. 



SAN- DOMIJS 
(Arrived on February 14th, and 
We leave sweet JacmePs fruitful 

ground ; 
For San Domingo city bound. 
We coast the shores of Hayti still ; 
We see high mountain, shore and 

hill— 
We pass the Haytien bounding 

line; 
Though of it we see not a sign. 
The Haytien hills we see no 

more ; 
We now sail by Domingo's shore. 
They are two independent states, 
But they're the victims of the 

fates ; 
This pleasant, fair and sunny 

land, 
So fruitful, beam iful and grand; 
Is crushed by wars unsparing 

hand. 

The two states with each other 
war, 



GO CITY. 

left on February 17th, 1885,) 

The other's progress each will 

mar ; 
They lie beneath some evil star. 
Each state within itself is split, 
Their rulers very seldom fit ; 
No President can safely sit — 
Upon the Presidential chair ; 
For Revolution flies the air, 
And every one is in dispair. 
No man can call his house his 

own, 
Of it he only holds the loan ; 
As out of it he may be thrown — 
Upon the twinkling of an eye, 
When Revolution's hand is high. 
No man will cultivate his land ; 
For fear that Revolution's hand, 
Would rob him of his labor's 

fruit, 
Perhaps, and take his life to 

boot. 

But San Domingo city now 



59 



It right before our vessel's prow ; 
We enter and the anchor throw — 
Down to the bottom does it go. 
JViost ancient port of this new 

world, 
Where Spain's grand banner was 

unfurled ; 
And pagan idols down were 

hurled — 
.And where the Holy Cross was 

raised, 
And where the name of God was 

praised ; 
And where the bells of Christ 

were rung — 
And where the Holy Mass was 

sung. 
While our states did the red-man 

own, 
And New York City was un- 
known ; 
And the red Indians or their 

squaws — 
In Massachusetts, made the laws. 

Domingo was a great port then, 
And Princes were its trading 

men; 
It was held by the Spanish crown, 
And Spanish soldiers filled the 

town ; 
And by their slaves the land was 

tilled, 
And by their ships the bay was 

filled— 
And Spanish blood was often 

spilled, 

Domingo tells another story 
For ever gone is Spanish glory ; 
Castilian power is gone and fled, 
The power of Arragon is dead. 
The Spanish flag no more is seen : 
'The Spanish King and Spanish 
Queen, 



Who sent the ships to find this 
land — 

Great Isabel and Ferdinand; 

Three hundred years are in their 
graves, 

And so are all the noble braves; 

The men of daring, might and 
fame — 

Who first to San Domingo came. 

The great Columbus is no more 

And Spain has lost Domingo's 
shore. 

But one grand relic doth remain, 

The Cross which here was raised 
by Spain; 

Reigns proudly in Domingo yet : 

The natives' hearts on it are set : 

Their faith they never shall for- 
get. 

And here is San Domingo town, 
No mountains high look on us 

down — 
The town is built on level ground; 
Yet, mountains our horizon 

bound. 
The bay is open wild and wide : 
Yet, safely we at anchor ride. 
The trade winds on us strongly 

blow, 
And quickly on the shore we'd go ; 
But that our anchors safe are 

cast — 
And stuck to bottom, hard and 

fast, 
The city lies before the eye : 
A half a mile off shore we lie: 
Her ancient glory now is fled ; 
Her commerce , now is almost 

dead. 
A few more ships is lying by- 
One steamer off the shore is 

nigh; 
We cannot see a small boat near ; 
They say that fruit is very dear, 



A buniboat comes beside next 

day, 
"We'd rather she had stopped 

away; 
Her stock of fruit is very small — 
She might as well bring none at 

all; 
Most quickly did the seamen 

buy, 
Although the price was very 

high: 
Three times the price of Port au 

Prince ; 
But sailors never mind the pence. 
The only thing that caused re- 
grets- 



Was that enough we could not 
get. 

Three days we lay at this old 

port — 
The rulers paid us little court; 
The President no visit paid ; 
His underlings no freedom made. 
Perhaps some insurrection they 
Were quelling in an ancient way i 
Perhaps to come they were 

afraid : 
Perhaps they were upon a raid ; 
I think there must be something; 

lame — 
But anyhow they never came. 



SAIL 

Three days at this old port we 

lay- 
No longer did we wish to stay ; 
We light our fires and steam 

away. 
The sea is mild, and smooth and 

calm; 
The air acts on our nerves like 

balm. 
Our ship rolls less on open ocean, 
And is more steady in her 

motion — 
Than when at San Domingo bay ; 
For three days we at anchor 

lay. 
When out at sea four hours or 

five; 
We got good cause to feel alive. 
Some heavy sail drill then we 

got; 
More than falls often to our lot ; 
By jove, we had it very hot ! 
" All hands aft at the braces lay !" 
All hands are pulling every way: 
For two long hours we got no 

spell — 



DRILL. 

All hands are tramping round 

pall mall. 
All hands indeed, are on the pull ; 
Of sail drill we have all our full : 
And if we had another bull — 
Like that we got from Hayti's- 

chief ; 
The bull I fear should come to> 

grief, 
And soon should disappear in 

beef. 

We sail on quickly south and 

west, 
The paddles now are on their 

best: 
Though old they yet are strong; 

and sound, 
And for Jamaica we are bound. 
Behind we leave Domingo's shore 
Perhaps to gaze upon no more ; 
In two more days another isle — ^ 
Upon our vision wide shall smile. 

We sail and steam at greatest 
power. 



61 



We make about nine knots an 

hour, 
And Hickok acts as boatswain's 

mate; 
His power of lung is very great ; 
So strong from all the bull he ate ! 
The word he gets is loudly passed ; 
He gives his orders quick and 

fast— 
And might be heard on top of 

mast. 
He sees all motions with a look : 
And reads the weather as a book ; 
In sailor knowledge he is high, 



And to promotion should be nigh ; 
We wish to him a higher rate 
Than yeoman, or than boats- 
wain's mate. 
That he may get another step ; 
That to the steerage he may leap ;- 
For now there is a vacant billet, 
And Hickok is the man to fill it. 
And if the powers are pleased to 

will it ; 
We hope that long upon the 

ocean — 
He may enjoy his just promo- 
tion. 



PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA. 
(Arrived on February 19th, and left on February 20th, 1885.) 



O'er the smooth waves with little 
spay, 

The ship "Powhatan" makes her 
way; 

From port this is our second day, 

What land is.that before us now; 

Far off upon our starboard bow ? 

What mighty mountains high are 
these ! 

So high above the briney seas ? 

Domingo's hills indeed were high ; 

But these are almost to the sky; 

These mountains, which before 
us lie. 

This is Jamaica's sunny island— 

Jamaica land of vale and high- 
land; 

Though highlands now are all we 
see — 

But I suppose, that vales must be ; 

Where we see mountain ranges 

high- 
Low valleys must between them 
lie. 

Along the shore we sail with 
speed, 

Enraptured with the scene in- 
deed ! 



But what green plain do we see 

now; 
Ahead, upon our starboard bow ? 
Look at that green and lovelr 

plain ; 
Which from the mountains to 

the main — 
Slopes out before admiring eyes ; 
That sunny plain before us lies. 
We enter now the lovely bay, 
And very hot the sun to-day : 
Our anchor to the deep is thrown ; 
We find that we are not alone ; 
For in the bay not very far 
Lie two great English men-of- 
war. 
The English flag is reared with 

pride — 
Ashore upon our starboard side. 
The harbor's entrance may be 

barred 
From this Port Royal navy yard .- 
There is a heavy fort close by — 
Which could a hostile fleet defy: 
The Union Jack waves there on 

high. 
Port Royal is a small, small place,. 
And were no navy in the case ; 



62 



A face you there might never 

meet; 
Of it there would not be a street. 
At anchor, we stop here one 

night, 



Enraptured with the charming 

sight : 
Of the green slope and lovely bay ; 
For Kingston do we leave next 

day. 



KINGSTON. 

(Arrived on February 20th, and left on February 26th, 1885. 



We leave Port Royal sharp at 

noon, 
And are in Kingston very soon ; 
It lies upon our larboard bow — 
We anchor right before it now, 
And quickly to our vessels side — 
The shore boats come across the 

tide. 
In big half dozens do they come, 
And there was plenty fruit in 

some: 
Bananas large, and ripe and 

sweet ; 
The Haytien fruit by this is beat ; 
We all invest and quickly eat. 

But other shore boats come close 

by- 
With fruit more pleasing to the 

eye; 
Which makes the company to 

sigh. 
They bring no oranges or pears, 
Or any of those common wares 
Which bumboats to a ship will 

bring, 
'Or even such as Hayti's King 
Sent out to us from Port au 

Prince ; 
The taste of which we think of 

since. 
'Close by our side these big boats 

puil— 
They bring no fruit ; they bring 

no bull ; 
They bring to us a greater treat ; 



They bring us something far more 

sweet, 
And which at sea we never meet. 

They bring some Indian maidens 

fair, 
With deep black eyes and raven 

hair ; 
And features with a charm rare. 
The sailors look and take a view 
Of these fair maids of every hue; 
From Spanish white to raven 

black, 
No intermediate hue they lack. 
Upon our decks they quickly get, 
And all our eyes on them are set ; 
We never saw such beauty yet. 
Upon the quarter deck they stand 
These beauties of Jamaica land ; 
How lovely is each showy neck, 
As they stand on the quarterdeck. 

Why come these fair ones from 

the shore? 
What brought them here the 

waters o'er? 
Do they come here our ship to 

take? 
Do they come here our hearts to 

break? 
Do they come here a mash to 

make ? 
To take our ship they do not come, 
To break the hearts they may of 

some; 
But anyhow they are not dumb I 



C3 



Their business we soon shall 

know; 
To make it known they quickly 

go: 
At business they are not slow. 
Their tongues are very soon in 

motion — 
To the poor roving sons of 

ocean. 
They come not here to cut a dash ; 
They came not here to have a 

mash; 
But they come here to make some 

cash. 

Though they are handsome, 

young and fair — 
Of gold their pockets all are bare ; 
Their living they have got to 

make, 
For which our washing they will 

take. 
So that they come to make no 

mash ; 
But they come here to take our 

wash. 
They do not make the trip for 

nought 
For lots of clothing home they' 

brought ; 
They shall have something for 

their trip; 
When next they come aboard the 

ship. 

Shall we get leave ashore to go? 
•Our money for good rum to 

throw? 
.Some say we shall and some say 

no. 
Aboard we now are long confined, 
One liberty would calm the mind ; 
A.nd for it we are all inclined. 
We are six weeks aboard the ship, 
And if ashore we take a trip ; 



And have a glass or two of beer, 
Our spirits to revive and cheer; 
It would improve us heart and 

soul — 
And make us hearty, hale and 

whole. 

There is no yellow fever here 
Or any other thing to fear; 
But there is every thing to cheer. 
Some think of going to the mast, 
And other shipmates not so fast ; 
No application thus would make 
But would let things their course 

to take. 
The city looks so grand and fair, 
There are such pleasant people 

there ; 
That some quite crazy for a trip 
Would in a moment jump the ship 
And in the water take a dip ; 
And with clothes on would swim 

ashore, 
And enter the first open door ; 
With dripping clothes and arms 

sore; 
All for the love of sport and fun. 
This risk and wetting would they 

run — 
Beneath Jamaica's warm sun; 
As they have often done before, 
By old Virginia's lovely shore. 

When freedom is entirely stopped 
From off the gangway have they 

dropped ; 
A little wisdom thus they lack ; 
But they feel wiser coming back. 
They undergo a quarantine; 
To go ashore no more they're 

seen. 
For three long heavy months or 

four— 
Their feet can never touch the 

shore. 



64 



It would be better for all hands, 
To go ashore upon all lands ; 
If liberty they always got — 
They would not be so wild or hot ; 
Or, be by the gendarmes caught. 
Like gentlemen they would be- 
have, 
The good name of the navy save ; 
And of the two would be more 

brave. 
But being long aboard confined ; 
Demoralizes heart and mind — 
Our higher nature it shall blind. 
So when at length ashore they go 
To fun, no limit will they know, 
And self control aside will throw. 

We lift our anchor in the bay, 
And we steam up beside the quay ; 
To get in coal without delay. 
Oh Heavens ! what a sight we see : 
Could we imagine it could be; 
Are not the colored people free, 
Beneath the hot Jamaican sun ? 
By women is our coaling done. 
With heavy bags on deck they 

run; 
Each brings a heavy bag of coal, 
And starts it down the bunker 

hole. 
Longshoremen's work they never 

fear, 
There are three dozen women 

here; 
The heavy work has left its trace 
Upon each working woman's face. 
They look so hardy, coarse and 

rough, 
Their skin looks worn, hard and 

tough ; 
Of heavy work they do enough, 
And this is Kingston's pretty 

town, 
Above it reigns the British 

Crown ! 



Washed by the Carribean waves, 
Oh! Tell me are these women 
slaves ? 

They are as black as black can be, 
No trace of white blood can we 

see — 
In any of these women here ; 
It is quite evident and clear, 
That they are of the negro race ; 
Of other blood we see no trace. 
They are no slaves to queen or 

lord, 
They do this work for its reward, 
They take this labor of their 

choice ; 
No master with them has a voice.. 
They give themselves to this- 

rough trade, 
Because they are so highly paid ;: 
In this rough way are fortunes 

made. 
They work all day and half the 

night — 
With moon and lamp and candle 

light; 
For meals a short time do they 

stop: 
When back to work they quickly 

hop — 
Their awful work again resume. 
In our eyes what a fearful doom,. 
For females at this work to be, 
And yet these women all are free. 
They are more free perhaps, than 

we! 
For we to Uncle Sam are bound, 
To serve on ocean or dry ground ;. 
On hard tack and soup bully 

found, 
Until our service is expired : 
Unless that of us they get tired, 
And we are from the service fired. 
But these poor woman are not so,. 
At any moment they can go: 



65 

And leave their precious work And went to all the liquor shops. 

behind — But in the end the colored cops, 

Or do whatever suits the mind ; Fired on by hope of high reward : 

For their advantage or their loss, Brought some of our gay boys 
And give no thanks to any boss. aboard. 

At half-past twelve o'clock at 
This night some shipmates jump- night, 

ed the ship, The lads were in a funny plight ; 

And through the city took a trip ; As to the orlop deck they go 

Of Kingston rum to take a sip. And are obliged to stop below. 

In all a dozen or thirteen — In our deep sleep they make a 
Upon the Kingston streets were break, 

• seen; They kept all hands an hour 
Though we were under quaran- awake; 

tine. Their tongues were neither dumb 
They broke the peace of Eng- nor slow, 

land's Crown, They let us know they had their 
They knocked the Kingston cop- blow ; 

pers down; As it is now described below. 



THEY JUMPED THE SHIP. 

(February 24th, 1885.) 
The good ship " Powhatan" is close by the quay; 
We are getting fresh coal in the bunkers to day, 
And close by the vessel, right over the side 
Are the streets of the city, so clean and so wide. 

In all the West Indies the best to be found ; 
But Kingston for us is prohibited ground. 
All liberty had been refused at the mast, 
And a close quarantine on the vessel is cast. 

The city of Kingston is here close at hand, 
But none of us will be permitted to land ; 
Except upon duty which some of us do, 
And makes us to feel a sensation quite new. 

To people like us, on a ship long confined. 
Sweet liberty is the first thought of the mind; 
Aud our being so near makes us feel the thing sore — 
And all hands are hard sighing for freedom ashore. 

The sun has gone down upon mountain and bay ; 
The good ship ' ' Powhatan " is yet by the quay : 
Seven bells have been struck — 'tis a quarter to eight, 
For a pleasant night's sport it is never too late ! 



M 

A lot of our shipmates now took it in head 

To go to the city instead of to bed; 

For small was the danger they would have to run, 

And great, very great, was the prospect of fun. 

It was spoken in whispers, but widely it spread, 

Till a third of the crew had it in the head; 

Though when eight bells were struck, nearly all were in bed ; 

I said nearly all, but still not quite the whole — 

The wenches were still working hard at the coal. 

And some of the sailors who were not in bed 

Were fooling about by the gangway and head ; 

And a lot of them slyly got out on the wheel, 

And their way through the blades did they quietly feelt 

As they could not get leave, they shall take it on loan, 
Regardlees of danger to muscle or bone. 
Like a fish does Hal Osbone jump in the tide, 
In a moment Bill Chandler is close by his side. 

Jem Darcy jumps in, being mad for a spree, 
And swims like a shark through the waves of the sea ; 
Six more hardy fellows jump in with a will — 
Tom Sloane, and four others and Buffalo Bill. 

The light of the moon is uncertain and dim, 
And without being seen safe ashore do they swim. 
In the whole jolly crowd there were twelve or thirteen — 
And by nobody else was the clever thing seen. 

They swim very safely and no one goes down, 
In their wet clothes they land on the wharf of the town ; 
They make for the rum shops to get themselves warm — 
They take the good city of Kingston by storm ! 

Very quickly the rum has got into the brain, 
And from their wild impulses they cannot refrain ; 
They fight with each other and with the police, 
. Who are here in the cause of Her Majesty's peace. 

Very soon by the cops are the wanderers bested, 

In Her Majesty's name they are quickly arrested; 

The ship had sent out twenty dollars reward — 

In the dead hour of night are the lads brought aboard. 

I will not give the names of the fortunate six 

Who got into no scrape for their humors and tricks ; 

They swam to the wheel, and got up through the head, 



67 



And their wet clothes at once for an airing were spread. 
And in five minutes more they were snugly in bed. 

Twenty dollars on each of their heads had been laid, 
And for those who were caught to the cops it is paid ; 
To make them remember the swim and the raid, 
The swim from the wheel, and the raid on the town. 
For which all their pockeis are on the look down. 

For fines and for wettings they care not a fig; 
They do not care a rap about irons or brig; 
They are no greenhorns commencing a cruise, 
But they are well seasoned and stubborn blues, 
They got what they wanted— they got on a booze L 

REGATTA AT KINGSTON. 

(Febmary. 22d, 1885.) 
Our ship lies at anchor in Kingston's sweet bay, 
And bright is the morning and great is the day — 
A day kept most sacred all over the state, 
For this is the birthday of Washington great. 

In the harbor of Kingston, Jamaica, we lie, 
And the sweet little town we are lying close by: 
Very grand is the harbor, and gay is the port, 

When a lot of our shipmates, inclined for good sport 

For a splendid regatta looked out for a match, 
Volunteers by the dozen came up to the scratch, 

The boats from the Captain they asked and they got ; 
They go and deposit their stakes on the spot, 
They deposit their stakes, which are handsome and high 
When away to their boats do they eagerly fiy. 

The boats have been launched and the men are all in, 
And each is resolved that his own boat shall win. 
Every man on the ship seeks a prominent place, 
To get a good view of the wonderful race. 

All the men on the ship at the ports could be seen, 
And their heads all outside they impatiently lean, 
And they all had a show for an elegant view; 
And now of the crews we will take a review. 

On the seats of the whale boat, with oars in their hands 
Are some of the bravest and best of our hands ; 
Julian Leardie and Thomas H. Sloane, 



68 

Strong in the muscle and strong in the bone ; 
For each got two shares of King Solomon's bull, 
And the two foremost oars of the boat do they pull. 

By Johnson and Tobin two more oars are manned, 

And my friend Bartley Cook has the stroke oar on hand ; 

Bob Harrison skilfully handles an oar, 

Tom Flood and Tom Eason pull hard on two more ; 

Two more oars are handled, with strength and good will, 

By Henry George Murphy and Buffalo Bill. 

The names of two more I have yet to relate, 
And of how they bet I have something to state; 
Heavy stakes on the opposite side they had thrown — 
Their boatmates of this not a tittle had known ; 
No surprise if they worked the whaleboat to be last, 
When upon the first cutter their money was cast. 

Bill Bocker, the fireman, was one of the two 
Who had put heavy stakes on the first cutter's crew ; 
His mate, Harry Thompson, had cast the same stake — 
It is under their fingers the boodle to make. 

And down by the rudder the coxwain does sit, 
For the high-toned position remarkably fit ; 
Bold Corporal Byrnes sits proud in his place, 
The whaleboat he gallantly steers for the race. 
By Joe has the boat race this evening been planed, 
And by this jolly crew is our noble boat manned. 

And now to continue the splendid review, 
We will all have a look at the first cutter's crew ; 
A middle sized Irishman strong, sharp and boney, 
Whose name I believe is Cornelius Mahoney, 
Pulls hard on the bow oar with might and with main 
That his boat, the first cutter, all glory should gain. 
Owney Nelson and Palmquist they each have an oar, 
They are always on hand when there's fun to the fore. 

Branet, Marks, Ostensen, Mitchell and Markie, 
The twoN C. Nelsons and not one a darkey! 
Their seven strong oars do they proudly sit by, 
For the first cutter's glory to pull or to die. 

Willy Smith pulled so hard on another big oar, 
That the skin of his hands in four places he tore. 
The name of the coxswain is Peter James Nagle, 
Upon his right arm he sports a white eagle ; 



69 

And another good puller of muscle and bone 

Is Michael O'Scanlan from sweet Garryowen. 

The signal is given ; the boats make a start; 

Observe how they skip o'er the water so smart ; 

Just see how they make their smooth way o'er the tide ; 

Just see how they pull and observe how they glide. 

Have a look at the pullers — the gay twenty-four, 
How each puts his strenght on the blade of his oar; 
Observe the two coxswains — bold Peter and Joe ; 
How the weight of their bones on the rudder they throw. 

The boats skip along o'er the beautiful tide, 

And they make the same speed— they are yet side by side. 

Three miles from the vessel a heavy buay floats, 

Which is to be doubled with speed by the boats. 

They must pull around the buoy, and pull back to the side, 

And they pull on together with pleasure and pride; 

All eyes are upon them from rigging and deck— 

The buoy in the distance appears but a speck. 

A few feet are gained by the first cutter now, 
As half under water she's running her bow, 
The .whale boat tries hard to regain her lost ground ; 
To win the proud race all her oarsmen are bound. 

The first cutter still has the best of the race, 
Ahead of the whale boat she yet keeps her place, 
And never relaxes the might of her pace; 
The first cutter's backers are laughing with joy; 
Because the first cutter has doubled the buoy. 

She has doubled the buoy, she is now coming back ; 
The friends of the whale boat are now looking black ; 
Peter Nagle knows well how to steer for a race, 
From the deck we can easily look on his face : 
With his weight on the rudder, his eye on the ship ; 
His boat is fast getting the best of the trip. 

The whale boat at last has the turning point doubled. 
Bi;t still all her backers are anxious and troubled; 
Her oarsmen are pulling with might aud with main, 
The stakes and the honor so anxious to gain. 

They have too much spirit to bear a defeat ; 
They will not allow themselves thus to be beat : 
The whale boat at length is increasing her pace- 
She still has a slight chance of winning the race, 



70 

She skips through the water; she pulls all her best, 
And with the first cutter is almost abreast. 

And the first cutter's crew being witness to this, 
Re-double their efforts the palm not to miss : 
The crew of the whale boat a pattern take, 
And more speed than ever they instantly make. 

But it is all no use, they are too near the ship, 
'Tis too late to regain what they lost through the trip. 
The first cutter has it, the race now is run, 
The cutter's bold crew all the laurels have won. 

The whaleboat has lost, I suppose it was fate, 
And yet she was only two minutes too late; 
The first cutter's backers are filled up with pride, 
For having put stakes on the fortunate side. 

And her crew full of pride on the spar deck is seen, 
All hands are admiring the gallant thirteen ; 
The captain invites them refreshments to take, 
In a keg of hot rum lots of room do they make. 

The crew of the whaleboat are now on the ground, 
And in hot refreshments are instantly found ; 
The crew of the whaleboat are not in disgrace, 
Because by three minutes they lost in the race. 

No matter how active are two rival crews, 

One side is full bound in a contest to lose ; 

And before the "Powhatan " arrives in Key West, 

The whaleboat may prove heiself still to be best. 

Before we go North from the fair Indian 'sun, 

The whaleboat and cutter shall yet have a run ; 

Which in Carthagena, perhaps, we may see, 

For one race is nothing; it sometimes takes three, 

To settle for ever which side is the best, 

We shall have some more fun 'ere we get to Key West. 

SA VANILLA. 

(Arrived on February 28th, left next day, March 1st, 1885.) 

Our ship is coaled at Kingston At Kingston sis days had we lain: 



quay ; 



We face again the salty main 



Again we anchor in the bay, The Carribean waves we find 

Where we remain for one night We leave Jamaica's hills behind ► 

m0 re, Farewell to sweet Port Royal 
.And then farewell Jamaica's shore. town, 



71 



And to the mountains looking 

down, 
And to sweet Kingston city fair, 
And the tall coppers who are there. 
Again we breathe the ocean air, 
We may not see sweet Kingston 

more ; 
"We may not see Jamaica's shore ; 
But some of us will not forget 
The lovely girls there we met, 
With skin so dark and curled 

hair ; 
But some for color never care, 
They always can admire the fair. 

To South directly do we sail ; 
From our best speed we do not 

fail; 
We are bound for a lonely port, 
Without a governor or court, 
Without a castle or a fort, 
Without a wharf, without a quay, 
It simply is an open bay ; 
We get there on the second day, 
And Savanilla is its name. 
Though small it is quite known 

to fame. 
Indeed, it is a small, small place ; 
Has made no progress in the race, 
Of life or trade we see no trace. 
A place of fame but not of note, 
It only boasts of one small boat, 
Though ninety ships have room 

to float 
Upon the harbor large and wide, 
Upon the large and open tide. 

One house is all that we can see; 
We doubt that any more there be. 
This house is large and high and 

bright ; 
Its walls are very clean and white ; 
To us it seems a pleasant sight. 
Of February it is the last ; 



Two months of this good year are 

past ; 
But months, like hours, fly very 

fast. 
I wish to memorize the day, 
We entered Savanilla bay/ 
And that we there at anchor lay, 
For war is brewing in the air, 
Upon that land so green and fair. 
A civil war is on the land, 
And insurrections bloody hand 
Is waving revolution's brand! 

Upon the very, very day 

We entered Savanilla bay, 

A band of rebels passed the way, 

They took sweet Baranquilla 

town — 
The legal government broke down 
The people of the country by, 
To save their lives and chattels 

try, 

And into Carthagena fly. 
The rebels also make their way ; 
At one success they will not stay, 
For Carthagena do they lay. 

Upon our decks these rumors fly, 
But knowing rumors often lie, 
Not notice much of them we take, 
Some shipmates will such yarns 

make; 
But a small boat which passes by 
Tells us that war's red hand is 

high, 
And that the people have to fly. 

Some news the Captain, too, has 
got, 

But of its import we know not. 

But guess he has heard some- 
thing hot, 

For he gives orders very smart, 

That from our anchorage we parr, 



72 



That we leave Savanilla bay, 
And go to sea without delay. 
We are to be by break of day 
At Carthagena, old and grand, 
The oldest city of the land, 
To witness hot rebellion's hand. 
The Captain does not tell us this, 
But from his orders so we guess, 
We scarcely can imagine less ; 
For most unlikely would it be, 
That he would sail so soon to sea, 
Unless that something very great 



And of importance to the State, 
At Carthagena lay in wait. 
We did not sail away that night, 
We waited for the morning's light 
All night at anchor did we lie, 
Because the wind had risen high ; 
In fact, it was a heavy gale, 
With early morning did we sail; 
The wind by this time had gone 

down; 
We sailed for Carthagena town. 



CARTHAGENA. 
(Arrived on March 1st, and Left on March 20th, 1885.) 



We made the voyage very fast, 
And in nine hours our anchor 

cast. 
This grand old town we now 

behold, 
Which once was full of Spanish 

gold. 
But gold and silver now are rare ; 
The place is backward, poor and 

bare : 
The people here have nought to 

spare. 
But there are grand old buildings 

here ; 
Our view of them is pretty clear; 
We see the old Cathedral there, 
And other ancient buildings fair, 
And almost all the worse of wear. 
Upon the hill the convent white, 
Looks very lovely to the sight. 
Our anchor is no sooner down 
Than a small boat comes from 

the town, 
Rowed by six dusky sons of Ham. 
The Consul of great Uncle Sam 
Steps on our deck from off this 

boat, 
Intending to remain afloat, 
Until war's terrors have cooled 

down 



Upon sweet Carthagena town. 

And so there is rebellion here ; 
The seat of war is very near ; 
The rebels march upon the town, 
To put the present rulers down ; 
The ruling people down to run ; 
And it is thought to-morrow's 

sun, 
May show the enemy in sight — 
May show both armies in their 

might, 
Perhaps may show a bloody fight. 

This town the rebels will attack, 
And if successful they may sack, 
The houses of the people there, 
And lay the beaten people bare. 
This day a heavy tale may tell 
To the poor people here who 

dwell ; 
And if of omens we take note, 
From the dark clouds which o'er 

us float. 
The very thick and heavy air, 
On our horizon everywhere, 
Would seem, perhaps, to signify 
That cruel war is very nigh, 
But that the rebels are close by ; 
Each hour we get confirming news 



73 



From ship's boats and from other 
crews. 

All hands aboard our noble ship 
Expect to have a landing trip ; 
To go ashore all hands expect 
Our country's Consul to protect ; 
For though the rebels take the 

town, 
The Stars and Stripes shall not 

go down, 
But o'er the Consul's house shall 

wave, 
Our citizens ashore to save 
From the hot carnage of the fray, 
Which may come off this very day. 

Without much noise three days 

have past 
Since here our anchor has been 

cast, 



And war we are expecting fast. 
Afloat the rebels have one ship, 
And once a day she makes a trip, 
To give the citizens a scare, 
She fires upon the city there. 
This vessel rates a single gun, 
And to the city does she run : 
Five miles away she mostly. stops, 
But on the town she sudden 

drops ; 
She just comes on a friendly call, 
And fires a shot or two of ball, 
But loss of life is very small. 
We have not heard if any fell, 
Though once she threw a heavy 

shell, 
Which burst and fell in splinters 

down, 
Within the ramparts of the town. 



INAUGURATION DAY ABOARD THE 
(Carthagena is Attacked). 



'POWHATAN 



It is the famous Fourth of March, 
Beneath a great triumphial arch, 
Which for him in his glory waits, 
The new chief ruler of our States, 
Accepts the luck the mystic fates, 
Have thrown in Grover Gleve- 

land's way. 
He mounts the awful chair to-day, 
And safely on it may he stay. 
May God protect him from all ill, 
And counteract all evil will, 
And may our flag wave higher 

still. 

More than two thousand miles 

away 
From Washington so grand and 

gay, 

The ship " Powhatan" lies to-day. 
Far off upon the briny sea, 
in Carthagena harbor we 



Are off in Washington in thought, 
As men who love their freedom 

ought. 
We think of Washington who 

fought 
The freedom of the land to gain, 
Who drove the English o'er the 

main 
As our forefathers did the Dane 
From Erin's green and lovely 

shore, 
To come back never, never more. 

The famous Fourth of March is 

here, 
The rebels now are very near; 
In hundreds do they come and 

fill 
The lovely Convent on the hill, 
And in battalions do they drill 
Along the hill, along the* vale, 



74 



All hands are armed in the town, 
To put the bold rebellion down 
With musket, sabre, shell and 

ball 
To drive the rebels from the wall. 
Each gun is loaded sure and well 
With leaden shot or bursting 

shell. 
Each sentry has his musket 

cocked ; 
The city gates are barred and 

locked. 
The rebels do they now behold, 
The Convent and the hill to hold; 
Some think the city has been sold ; 
The rebels know what happens 

there; 
They get their information, 

where? 
Such news the government can't 

spare. 
But from the town do hundreds 

Both openly and on the sly, 
Upon the rebel side to stand, 
To change the rulers of the land; 
To have a revolution grand. 
The rebels hold the city's keys — 
Their flag is flying to the breeze ! 

The Fourth of March is not gone 

yet; 
Upon the town our eyes are set. 
The sun behind the hill goes 

down, 
And darkness falls upon the 

town. 
When shall we see the grand 

attack, 
The fight, the storm, or the sack, 
Or dire defeat and beating back? 
In expectation great we stand 
Of seeing war to-night on land. 
Tom Collins sees a flash of light, 
And ail hands rush to see the 



The Union army within hail. 

sight, 
G-od help Colombia to-night ! 
The rebels fire three hundred 

guns; 
May God help Carthagena's sons. 
The soldiers of the town fire back, 
And thus concludes the night's 

attack. 

But we have heard the noise and 

row, 
And on the ship"Powhatan"now 
The soldiers all are told to go 
And get their arms from below. 
Their blankets also must they get, 
Upon a trip ashore to set. 
We quickly get upon our feet, 
No need the order to repeat. 
First Sergeant Reefer passed the 

word, 
By us no sooner was it heard, 
Than for our arms do we go. 
We get our blankets from below, 
Which on our shoulders do we 

throw, 
And for inspection do we fall — 
Our officer inspects us all. 
Our blankets havd been nicely 

slung, 
And from one shoulder nicely 

hung, 
And like a sash beneath are tied, 
So they are slung from side to 

side. 
The steam launch then we go 

aboard, 
To risk the chance of fire or sword. 
Fourteen marines all told have 

come; 
We bring no bugle nor no drum; 
We think of sport and not of fear, 
Our officer is with us here, 
We have some hard tack but no 
beer. 



75 



Perhaps ashore we may get some, 
Or, better still, a little' rum, 
To keep our tongues from getting 
dumb. 



'The steam launch quickly nears 

the quay; 
We pass some forts upon the way ; 
We cannot soon forget this day. 
Upon the wharf we safely land, 
And few and small our little 

band, 
The Consul's house to fortify, 
To keep the banner waving high, 
Half way between the town and 

sky. 



The town gates quickly we pass 

through. 
Our way still onward we pursue ; 
This old town is to us quite new. 
We reach the Consul's house at 

last. 



The doors and windows are made 

fast; 
We now await the battle's blast. 
On guard we spend the lire-long 

night, 
Until the sun renews his light, 
But cannot see a sign of fight. 
As from our guard room we look 

down, 
We see the soldiers of the town. 
Across the street their barracks 

lie, 
We see field officers ride by, 
And no civilian meets the eye. 
The sentry's challenge loud and 

clear, 
One hundred times an hour we 

hear. 
A little after break of day, 
Not seeing sign of sack or fray, 
We don our blankets and away. 
Again we get aboard our ship,' 
And so concludes our landing 

trip. 



SIEGE OF CARTHAGENA, {Continued). 



The Fifth and Sixth of March 

pass by, 
The rebels by the city lie, 
But no great efforts do they make, 
The city to subdue or take. 
"The city's big guns now and then 
Are aimed against the rebel men, 
Who are encamped the town out- 
side, 
But of them do the balls fall 

wide. 
The Seventh day of March, is 

here, 
A heavy battle must be near, 
For we get notice from the town, 
To move our ship the channel 

down, 
A little further down the bay, 
To be out of all harm's way, 



So that both armies in their might 
Would soon engage in fearful 

fight, 
And that from out the line of fire. 
Our noble ship would please retire. 

And soon from Carthagena's walls 
Her gunners ply their heavy balls 
Upon the rebel force outside, 
Who in the bushes are ahide, 
Or in the ancient castle near, 
Where bullets they need never 

fear. 
Our ship is yet in the same spot ; 
Our anchorage we shifted not ; 
We see the battle raging hot. 
The town is firing very fast, 
And through our decks the word. 

is passed, 



76 



That all who please may climb 

the mast, 
Where they could have a clearer 

sight; 
Now in the clear and sunny light 
The word is passed on deck, and 

lo! 
All hands up in the rigging go, 
Where we can have a better show, 
A wide and very open view, 
Of city and of country, too. 
The city's sea-wall guns we see 
Are with the rebel grounds quite 

free; 
The rebels are not firing back ; 
Perhaps artillery they lack, 
Or bide their time for fierce 

attack. 

We think a battle they have tried 
Upon the town's remoter side, 
Where no sea-channel deep and 

wide 
Could shut them out from wall 

and town, 
Where they might on the gates 

come clown, 
And with cold bayonet, sword 

and ball, 
Upon the city they might fall, 
And seize the gate or scale the 

wall, 
Because from that point do we 

hear 
The sound of muskets very clear. 
The firing ceases by degrees, 
And from our vessel's high cross- 
trees, 
Where blows on us a healthy 

breeze ; 
We bend our feet, our backs, our 

necks, 
And soon regain the calmer decks ; 
And in a while our anchor lift, 
And our position do we shift 



A little further down the bay, 
About a half a league away. * 

To-night five soldiers go ashore 
To guard the Consul's open door* 
They hear the fire all through the 

night, 
But see no storm, sack or fight. 
They scarcely see a naked sword ; 
Next morning they come back 

aboard, 
With the First Sergeant at their 

head, 
But nine more soldiers in their 

stead, 
With courage great and spirit high. 
The Consul's dwelling fortify. 
All day slow firing do we hear, 
But we are not the town as near, 
As we were on the day before ; 
We are more distant from the 

shore, 
But in the channel where we lie, 
Two belligerent forts are nigh, 
Right opposite each other they, 
Are musket firing all the day, 
And at each other blaze away. 
The soldiers of the town hold one^ 
And at the other fire for fun. 
The rebels hold the other fort, 
And at the other fire for sport, 
For no one falls on either side. 
Their bullets fall both short and 

wide, 
And not one soldier yet has died. 
About a mile apart they lie, 
And from our decks with naked 

eye, 
The men in both are plainly seen,. 
Our vessel lies half way between.. 
But just a little lower down, 
A little further from the town, 
And safely out of harms way 
The gallant ship "Powhatan" 

lay. 



77 
THE RIVAL FORTS. 
In hot Carthagena far down on the bay, 
The good ship "Powhatan" impatiently lay. 
A great civil war is fast raging ashore, 
And good men at both sides are lying in gore. 

The channel just here is about a mile wide, 
And the rebs hold a fort on our ship's starboard side ; 
They are ordered to stop all supplies to the town, 
And to burn or sink all the nationals down, 
Who would dare to pass by in a vessel or boat, 
And to shoot all the government soldiers afloat; 
And to blow up the fort on the opposite side, 
But they cannot do much for the bay is too wide. 

This fortress is ancient, and great is its fame ; 
It is called Manzanillo, a sweet Spanish name. 
Don Stephen de Balbo is lord of the fort, 
Commanding the bay and the entrance to port. 

De Balbo is gallant and fearless and bold ; 
He has sixty brave soldiers the fortress to hold ; 
He has two big guns and some good heavy shot r 
And woe to the foeman who passes the spot. 

The Don has some officers by to assist 
The national government strong to resist. 
He has a Lieutenant, an Ensign or two, 
Who for the rebellion their duty will do. 

And facing this ancient and strong rebel fort 
Is a government castle close guarding the port. 
Upon our port-bow this strong castle is seen ; 
Behind it are large fields of pasture so green. 

Don Sampson Carrasco is commandant here, 
And to the ' ' Powhatan " both castles are near. 
Don Sampson Carrasco is six feet in height, 
And his heart and his soul are absorbed" in the fight. 

In the van of the fight he is sure to be met ; 

He ranks as a Captain and Major brevet. 

He has no other officer here to assist, 

There is only one name on the officers' list. 

But he has three Sergeants and Corporals four, 

And of privates he has thirty-seven or more. 

Through the length and the breadth of Colombian land,. 

This fort is well known as the " Castel le Grand." 



The national banner above it waives high, 
And its men are determined to conquer or die. 
At the fort of the rebels they fire night and day, 
And at all rebel boats which are passing the way. 

Their eyes on each other at all times are set, 
And short is the sleep which the sentinels get. 
They are watching by day, they are watching by night; 
They are watching in darkness and in the daylight ; 
They are watching the city, the castle and bay 
Prom the falling of night to the dawing of day. 

They fire at each other, they fire far and wide, 
And yet very few of the foemen have died. 
They manage to keep in the shade of their walls, 
And thus they escape all their enemies' balls. 

They fire at their foemen ashore and afloat, 
And woe to the government steamer or boat 
That comes within range of the rebels' big guns, — 
The danger is great for Colombia's sons. 

If a boat of the rebels will run the blockade 
Of fort Manzanillo she must stand in shade, 
And keep very near it and close by the land, 
Or the government soldiers oi Castel le Grande, 
Would quickly pour on them hot rations of lead, 
And lay the boat's company wounded or dead. 

Aboard the "Powhatan" we have a good sight 
Of the firing by day and the firing by night, 
We hear the report if one musket is fired ; 
Of watching the battle we are getting tired. 

But this state of things cannot hold very long; 
The weaker shall soon have to yield to the strong. 
All we have got to say is, " May God help the right, 
May He soon put a stop to this terrible fight, 
And may peace reign once more on this suffering land, 
Upon Fort Manzanillo and Castel le Grande." 

THE COLOMBIAN NAVY. 

Behold the mighty squadron of the Colombian seas, 
Observe their haughty banners proudly waving with the breeze; 
Observe the men upon their decks, how nobly do they stand, 
They are determined all to die for their sweet native land. 

They look so fearless and so bold, so gallant and so gay, 



79 

This mighty fleet we now behold in Carthagena bay. 
The world's eyes are now upon these noble vessels three, 
The grandest fleet that ever waived a banner on the sea. 

They have no heavy masts or sails, no canvass do they fly, 
But they have men determined all to conquer or to die. 
They have no very heavy guns and not a single shell, 
.But "with their muskets they will blow their enemies to hell. 

Their stock of muskets is not great, and those they have are old, 
But they are manned by able men, courageous, true and bold. 
There are no seamen in the fleet, of gunners but a few, 
But then you must remember that our gallant fleet is new. 

One month ago the great flagship her grand commission got, 
And ever since by night and day with bullet and with shot ; 
She fires upon the rebels, on the castle and the shore, 
And many heavy streams of lead upon them does she pour. 

She has good riflemen aboard who fire the heavy lead, 

The rebel ranks are getting thin with wounded and with dead. 

For many gallant rebels now are lying in the clay, 

From bullets fired upon them by this " Monarch of the bay." 

And "Rafael Xunez " is the name by which this ship is known, 
And many fatal shells upon the rebels has she thrown. 
Our sailors have a nickname for this monarch of the main ; 
The sailors of great Uncle Sam call her " Wet Stern Jane." 

She is a stern wheeler, and her paddle works behind, 
And her two gallant consorts are the very same in kind ; 
They are three stern wheelers and by steam they are propelled, 
Their mission, to annihilate the men who have rebelled. 

The gallant Don Fernando is the Admiral-m-Chief, 
And many gallant rebels have his rifles brought to grief; 
His father was a mighty Don of Arragon in Spain, 
Who in the Spanish civil war ten years ago was slam. 

The " Union " is the second ship of this majestic fleet, 
And woe betide the rebels whom this man-of-war shall meet. 
And Colonel Daigo Dallo, a commander true aud bold, 
Is captain of this noble ship and worth his weight in gold. 

A man-of-war looks funny when she has no mast or sail, 

But looks three times as funny with a paddle to her tail; 

And looks quite comical indeed when paddling through the main, 

Our sailors' nickname for this ship is " Stern Paddle Jane." 

The third ship of this gallant fleet, the smallest of the three, 



Is rather small for fighting on the broad and open sea ; 
But for defence of harbor, or for service by a port, 
She is as good as any ship that ever shelled a fort. 

Two weeks ago she sailed boneath the Yankee stripes and stars, 
But she has changed her calling, she is now a ship of Mars. 
She came down here on pleasure, but her owners had her sold ; 
They were well paid by government in yellow bars of gold. 

She carries thirty riflemen, her name I quite forget, 
But her captain, Sancho Panza, is an ensign by brevet; 
He once had been a private, by his bravery he rose, 
In charge he was the foremost man advancing on his foes. 

Besides these three the navy has another boat or two, 
They have a six-oared cutter and a splendid war canoe ; 
The cutter leaks quite heavily, the soldier's feet are wet, 
And her captain, Thomas Fiasco, is on heavy duty set, 

Six privates and the captain are the gallant cutter's crew, 
And four hardy soldier-sailors are on the war canoe. 
She cruises through the bay at night the rebel forts to watch, 
Though she pretends that she goes out some little fish to catch. 

To prove she is a fishing boat, she brings a heavy net, 
But fish is not the work on which this gallant boat is set. 
Her captain never fished before except with rod and flies, 
His name is Carlo Basto; he's a colonel in disguise. 

The boats give much annoyance to the rebel forts at night , 
And ships and boats are manned by men who never fear to fight ; 
And though the rebels gain the day, they shall have lots to do, 
Before they conquer these three ships, the cutter and canoe. 

NOTE.— At the raising of the siege of Carthagena, the Columbian navy 
stationed there, consisted of only two snips, the " Rafael Nunez," and the 
other stern wheeler, which had previously sailed under the American flag, 
the "Union" having been captured by the rebels at the battle of 
Baru, April 19th. After this poem was written, the government commis- 
sioned another ship, the " Colombia, 1 ' but she was captured by the rebels 
after being about five or six weeks in commission. 

THE COLOMBIAN REBEL NAVY. 

The rebels of Colombia are strong upon the ocean, 
And in sweet Carthagena bay they have a fleet in motion ; 
They have two gunboats armed well, the foeman fleet to scatter; 
A good supply of shot and shell their enemies to batter. 

The largest gunboat of the two for action always ready, 
Is handled by a noble crew, who fire their bullets steady. 



81 

She carries four and thirty men and two big heavy pieces, 
Determined all to die or win, her cruising never ceases. 

And "Game Cock" was her former name, and trading her condition, 

Ere she a man-of-war became and got her high commission. 

And in another port and bay she acted as a lighter, 

But was rechristened on the day that she became a fighter. 

The name of " Gaitan " now she bears since she got her commission: 

The rebel flag she proudly rears, and great is her ambition ; 

Her soldiers never fear a foe upon dry land or ocean; 

But onward for their cause they go and have no other notion. 

The rebel flag they yet will place above the town walls flying; 
For which all danger they will face, and would feel happy dying ; 
If their dear flag had won the prize, how proud would be their story! 
If they could with their dying eyes behold their flag in glory. 

The other gunboat of the fleet is strongly iron-plated ; 

She fears no enemy to meet, and she is highly rated ; 

She has a mixed, but gallant crew who speaks all sorts of lingo; 

Commanded by a leader true, John Patrick San Domingo. 

When first we saw this gallant boat, we thought she was a launch ; 

Until we saw her iron coat, her title is " Cotrimancho." 

She was a peaceful steamer once— a happy, happy trader; 

But these two last eventful months a man-of-war "have made her. 

Her crew is twenty-five all told, the rebel flag is flying, 

All gallant soldiers true and bold for revolution sighing. 

And in the silent midnight hour, all hands close watch are keeping; 

Until their chieftain comes to power, they never think of sleeping. 

Both vessels cruise about the bay, from town wall to the ocean ; 
Upon their foemen's walls they play with shell and powder lotion. 
They fire upon the city walls, and on Castle le Gran do, 
With shell and heavy cannon balls, and on Fort San Fernando. 

They are as brave as brave can be; but they are rather slender, 
Or they would quickly clear the sea, and make the town surrender. 
If their bulk was a little more, and guns more high in number, 
They'd rule the land from shore to shore, and "sweetly could they 
slumber. 

And when they meet the stern wheels, the "Union" and "Backwater;" 
To fight them do they bend their keels, for victory or slaughter. 
When of each other they get sight, their big guns are a boozing; 
They instantly commence to fight, and hot must be their cruising. 

The rebels have a small boat too, behind a headland lying; 



82 

She has a small but able crew, and has no banner flying. 
In deep disguise she goes about, apparently for pleasure ; 
Of which her foeman have no doubt, they do not take her measure. 

When nights are dark she steals close by the city's docks and entries ; 
She well avoids the foeman's eye, and fires upon the sentries. 
Most silently she steals away, her foes do not fire at her ; 
She now is on the open bay, and aimless is their batter. 

The rebels have a schooner too, whose name I could not learn ; 
Not one of the " Powhatan's" crew could read it on her stern. 
She'd steal upon the town at night, the gallant walls to batter ; 
But never waited for a fight, her foes could not fire at her. 

We do not see her now at all, she has been disappearing; 
She went outside to make a haul, and she is privateering ; 
But she will face her foes again, and fight them dry or gory; 
And join the gunboats' gallant men, for dire defeat or glory. 

And plant the rebel flag on high, and bring their friends to rally 
And wave their banner to the sky, on mountain, town and valley; 
And place their general in power, as ruler of the people ; 
And have the joy bells rung that hour, in every church and steeple. 

NOTE.— At the raising of the siege of Carthegena the rehel navy was 
very strong. In addition to the ships mentioned above, they had the bark 
11 Colombia," which had been taken from the Unionists: also, the stern 
wheel " Union'' which they had taken from the Unionists, on April 19th, 
at Baru, and two more stern wheels, one of which was called the Cartha- 
gena," which came to their assistance from some other port, and another 
small schooner. 



SIEGE OF GARTHAGENA {Continued.) 

Our gallant steam launch goes When just five minutes left the 

ashore, quay, 

Of victuals fresh to get a store ; The rebels on the bank who lay, 

She has some good provisions got, At the poor steam launch blaze 
Which well nigh proved the dear- away. 

est lot, One officer, an engineer, 

Which ever came aboard our ship, Was very nearly paying dear , 

It well nigh proved a bloody trip. A bullet whizzed apast his ear; 

The soldiers from the consul's And three more bullets fly close 

house, by, 

Each with his blanket o'er his The whizzing sound is very nigh, 

blouse, Not one is hurted in the fray. 

Keturn by the steam launch back, The gallant launch pursues her 
And little dream of an attack. way. 



83 



George Ufford gives his steam 

full play. 
Not one is wounded, shot or cut, 
The launch is at the gangway's 

foot. 

The soldiers to their quarters go, 
And tell their shipmates all they 

know, 
And likewise things which they 

know not, 
About the numbers who were 

shot ; 
About the numbers who were 

slain, 
Upon the town and on the plain. 

The strife goes on by night and 

day, 
In castle, city, fort and bay ; 
The castle by the rebs is manned 
And to the town is close at hand. 
The town's defence seems badly 

planned ; 
The castle strong is very near, 
The rebels' battery is here, 
And the poor city stands in fear. 
But if the soldiers of the town 
Upon the castle had come down, 
And had it strongly fortified, 
Before the rebels came outside ; 
The rebels should keep far away, 
Or by hard fighting make their 

way. 
But it seems very, very queer, 
That this strong castle lying near, 
Should be left open to their foes, 
But now they have to bear the 

blows. 
A cannonade they have to bear, 
From that well-mounted castle 

there. 

The night before Si. Patrick's 

day, 
The rebels give their guns full 

play, 



And at the city blaze ciwav. 
Ihey had been doing so before, 
But having had no shell in store 
Their firing had been very small' 
Their only missile had been ball; 
But in their wrath they now come 
down 

S)??" the P° or devoted town, 
With cannon, musket, ball and 

shell, 
To blow the city all to h— 1. 

They fire their bursting shells all 

night, 
And in the morning what a sight » 
Men who in health last nTght 

had stood, 
Are now laid out in gores of blood ; 
lhe wounded people roar with 

pam! 
The city's streets are full of slain ! 
High walls and buildings are 

knocked down ! 
Alas ! for Carthag-ena town ! 
But still the soldiers hold the 

walls, 
In spite of cannons, shells and 

balls. 
Within their lines the rebels lie, 
lhe hostile banners both are high ; 
One flies the castle ramparts o'er, 
And one the town's high walls 

before. 

When shall we see the dawn of 

peace ? 
When shall this insurrection 

cease ? 
Shall the insurgents take the 

town? 
Or shall their foenien put them 

down ? 
Shall we see harmonv no more- 
On lovely Carthagena's shore? 
Of looking at them we are tired 
When shall their last big gun be 

fired ? 



84 



They fire, they fire, they fire 

away, 
Prom nightfall till the dawn of 

day. 
From daybreak till the fall of 

night, 
We see small stoppage to the 

fight. 
Our mails are coming very slow, 
And of our friends we nothing 

know, 



Back to the States we wish to go. 
At last our anchor up we pull, 
Of Carthagena being full, 
We leave it quickly on our rear, 
And soon we breathe the ocean 

air; 
Away from city, fort and wall, 
Beyond the soundlof shell and ball, 
And we are bound for Aspinwall. 



ASPINWALL. 
(Arrived on March 21st, and left on March 25th, 1885. 



Next evening at the fall of sun, 
Our little voyage we have run; 
With Carthagena we are done; 
We drop our anchor in the bay, 
And at this port we are to stay, 
Till orders come to go away. 
We do not like this place at all, 
A bad, bad spot is Aspinwall ; 
For most unwholesome is the air, 
And sickness anchors everywhere. 
We all felt bad while lying here, 
Though anchored to the city near. 
No bumboat comes the gangway 

by, 
No pleasure boat comes sailing 

nigh; 
The town runs close along the 

shore, 
With ships the wharves are cov- 
ered o'er, 
But still no life, is in the place, 
We scarcely see a human face, 
And yet it is a seaport great. 
But civil war is in the State; 
The war which we have left be- 
hind, 
Again at Aspinwall we find. 
And here the rebels are in power, 



In country, city, fort and tower. 
But things are most unsettled 

here ; 
The dawn of peace is far from 

near. 
And so no spirit, life or fun, 
From daybreak till the fall of sun, 
At Aspinwall is to be found ; 
Oh, when shall we be homeward 

bound . 
Four days at Aspinwall we stay ; 
We raise our anchor and away. 
Our previous voyage we retrace, 
For Carthagena is the place, 
For which our ship is heading 

now, 
And onward cuts our vessel's 

prow. 
A strong head wind we have to 

bear, 
But find improvement in the air; 
The sickly air of Aspinwall, 
On us does it no longer fall. 
The head winds keep our good 

ship back, 
And slowly we retrace our track, 
And in three days we safe arrive, 
Is Carthagena yet alive? 



85 



OUR SECOND ARRIVAL AT CARTHAGENA, 
(March 28th, 1885.) 



We quickly pass Fort San Fer- 
nando, 
And just below Castel le Grando, 
Quite close to where before we 

lay, 
We drop our anchor here to 

stav. 
The Unions still hold by the 

town, 
The rebels firing at thein down; 
Each soldier minds his own dear 

case, 
And saves his head and saves his 

face ; 
There is no change in this old 

place. 
Manzanillo Fort is nigh 
The rebel flag is waving high ; 
And facing it on the other shore, 
The Union flag waives proudly 

o'er, 
Upon the tower of Castel Grand , 
So that the war upon the land 
Is going on but very slow, 
And seldom do their big guns 

blow. 



And the two fleets are cruising 
here, 

And to our vessel pass quite 
near : 

The rebels have a little fleet, 

Which keeps the Unions on their 
feet. 

They have two gunboats strong 
and tight, 

And well accoutred for a fight. 

Both had been trading boats be- 
fore. 



Two men-of-war they have be- 
come, 

And these two gunboats are not 
dumb; 

They fire by day at Castel Grando, 

And day and night at San Fer- 
nando. 

And sometimes to the city walls, 

They fire their great and little 
balls. 

But they have rivals in the bay , 

Whom they are meeting day by 
day. 

Their foes have got four men-of- 
war, 

Who cruise the harbor near and 
far. 

They have three steamers and 
one ship, 

Who night and day are on the 
trip, 

From town to fort and fort to 
town, 

To keep the bold insurgents 
down, 

With heavy speed they make 
their way, 

O'er the blue waters of the bay. 



We are no longer on the sea, 
In Carthagena bay are we. 
We are in Carthagena bay, 
And on the afternoon next day, 
We see a bloody naval battle. 
The rebel gunboats hotly tackle 
With the tall flagship of the 

foe: 
Their heavy balls and shells they 

throw,* 
As it is now described below. 



NAVAL BATTLE OF CARTHAGENA, 
(Sunday, March 29th, 1885.) 

Between the Union Bark " Colombia " and the Rebel Gunboats 
"gaitan" and " commancho." 

It is the twenty-ninth of March, and glorious is the day, 
Behold that noble vessel slowly sailing down the bay ; 
She is a gallant fighting ship, well-mounted and well-manned , 
Commissioned by the government of this ill-fated land. 

She has good muskets on her deck, and three great heavy guns,. 
Her crew are gallant sailors all, Colombia's noble sons ; 
She has one hundred men aboard, well-armed, brave and true, 
Admire the noble vessel and her brave and gallant crew. 

To Carthagena on a trip, three weeks ago she came, 
She was a happy merchant ship and bore a Danish name ; 
But she was sold for yellow gold a man-of-war to be, 
And put into commission high to cruise upon the sea. 

She was a merchant ship last month, when she came o'er the main, 
Above she reared a flag of peace, the banner of the Dane ; 
But she was bought by government to beat the rebels down, 
And christened the " Colombia" at Carthagena town. 

How proudly to the ocean does she bend her gallant prow, 
But oh ! what other boat is that down bearing on her now ; 
Is she a steam launch or a tug, what can this vessel be ? 
The banner of rebellion on her stern do we see. 

She is a rebel man-of-war, destruction is her aim. 
And soldiers are her mariners, and "Gaitan" is her name; 
She was a peaceful merchant boat a week or two ago, 
But now she wears another coat, she charges on her foe. 

She has a small but noble crew of thirty men and four. 

And their hearts' blood in this good cause most freely will thej 

pour ; 
They have good rifles in their hands and two big guns as well,. 
A barrel of good powder and a heavy stock of shell. 

She comes within the range of shot, a heavy shell she throws, 
Which falls beside her foeman's ship but injures not her foes; 
She fires a musket volley, and she throws another shell, 
Which on her noble foeman now with great effect must tell. 

The fire is now returned by their f oemen on the bark ? 

They fire a shell which falls close by and very near the mark ;; 



87 

They fire a half a dozen more; one strikes her on hev side, 
But lays no soldier in his gore— the rest fall far and wide. 1 

They fire their three great heavy guns and their small arras all; 
They blaze at the poor "Gaitan " with their weapons great and 

small ; 
And all this time the " Gaitan " is returning all their fire, 
At length beyond her foeman's reach she safely will retire. 

She steams away but goes not far, she soon comes up again, 
And recommences battle with her four and thirty men; 
When lo! another boat-of-war is seen upon the ground, 
Behind a headland she had been and she is coming round. 

Down on her foeman does she steer, her hull is painted red, 
Her noble soldiers know no fear, no nervousness or dread; 
She has but five and twenty men, but they are heroes all. 
And down on the ''Colombia " like Spartans do they fall. 

Xo fear, no danger do they feel, to-day shall crown their fame, 
Their gallant boat is clad with steel, " Commancho " is her name; 
And Colonel San Domingo a commander true and brave, 
Commands the soldiers on her decks the rebel cause to save. 

She steams beside the mighty bark and at her quickly fires, 
And when three volleys are discharged, she suddenly retires; 
In doing so she fires her back some tokens of farewell ; 
She fires a hundred bullets and a dozen balls of shell . 

Towards her consort then she runs, but stops not long away, 

She only wants to clean her guns to recommence the fray ; 

She cleans her arms small and great, then gives her steam full 

blow, 
Not for a moment does she wait— she charges on her foe. 

The gallant boat " Commancho " is again upon the ground, 
And charges on the bark again uninjured, safe and sound; 
They fire on one another with their arms great and small, 
Until their sides are riddled well with splinter and with ball. 

The gallant boat " Commancho" runs her foeman's ship beside, 
And with their great and little guns the day they will decide ; 
Aloft in the " Powhatan's " trees we gaze upon it all, 
Enjoying a delightful breeze while gallant heroes fall. 

The bark and the " Commancho " lie together side by side, 
An awful sight to human eye; are they together tied? 
Upon each other they can play with nothing to prevent, 
And madly do they blaze away with war's terrific vent. 



For nine long minntes do they fight ; each port is trebly manned, 
In all their rage and strength and might, a fearful hand to hand ; 
At least eight hundred bullets hot must have been fired in all ; 
How many gallant men are shot with splinter and with ball? 

How many noble soldiers in these minutes nine have died? 
These nine long minutes must at least the awful day decide. 
The gallant boat " Commancho " from her foeman now retires, 
But boat and bark, through thick and thin, keep up two steady 
fires. 

The other gunboat, the " Gaitan," keeps firing at her foe, 
But keeps two hundred yards away, no nearer does she go; 
While the " Commancho " and the bark are fighting breast to 

breast, 
She pours her fire close by the mark and gives her foe no rest. 

The noble boat " Commancho " has a cask of powder dry, 
It lies quite carelessly on deck and takes the f oeman's eye ; 
And right upon the powder cask a piece of shell is thrown, 
It catches fire and high in air with awful noise is blown. 

The union bark " Colombia " has ceased her heavy fire, 
And from the awful battle ground she slowly will retire ; 
The rebel gunboats do the same, the battle now is o'er, 
But oh ! how many gallant men are lying in their gore ? 

AFTER THE BATTLE. 

All hands descend the rigging By the fierce cannon's rattle ; 

down, But we know not how many men 

The gallant ships are scattered. Have perished in the battle. 
Alas ! for Carthagena town ! 

Her fighting ships are battered. The big guns had been highly 
The gunboats and the gallant fed, 

bark And fearfully they thundered ; 

Are now beyond our sighting; We fear some gallant men are 
But we know not how many men dead, 

Have perished in the fighting. There must have been a hundred. 

Our steam launch has been called 
We know no ship was sunk or away, 

lost, The doctor gets inside her ; 

Or by its foe was taken ; And the blue waters of the bay, 

But we know that they have been From us shall soon divide her. 

tossed, 

And most severely shaken. The [gallant soldiers' wounds to 
We saw their hulls half broken in staunch, 



Of life to stop the losing ; 
Upon our noble gallant launch, 
The doctor goes a cruising ; 
And Harry Brinkley goes with 

him. 
Most serious his face is ; 
To help him with each wounded 

limb, 
And all the heavy cases. 

A rebel gunboat they are near, 
They step out of the launch ; 
But red-cross men no danger fear, 
They (*re on the " Commancho." 
The red-cross banner high in air, 
By Brinkley is unfurled : 
A flag respected everywhere, 
All over this wide world. 

The rebels see the sacred sign, 
The Ensign of Redemption ; 
And like good soldiers fall in line, 
And stand up to attention. 
Eleven wounded men they find, 
And two of them are dying ; 
Each wounded limb they softly 

bind, 
Upon the bare deck lying. 

It was an awful sight to see, 
So hard and so unsightly; 
And Patrick San Domingo's knee, 
Is wounded very slightly. 
Aboard the " Gaitan"' now they 

go, 
From their work rather warm ; 
But here the bullets of the foe, 
Had done but little harm. 



For not a man aboard was killed, 

Through all the heavy firing; 

In taking shelter they were skill- 
ed, 

And under shade retiring. 

AJflesh-wound did one soldier get, 

The man could scarcely feel it ; 

They dressed it with a bandage 
wet, 

Which very soon must heal it. 

To the " Colombia " they go, 
The f oeman of the others ; 
But red-cross men no party know, 
To all men they are brothers. 
One man is wounded in the hand, 
His arm is disjointed; 
No longer can he serve his land,. 
He is not disappointed. 

The firing had been very hot r 
Both musketry and shelling ; 
And how so very few were shot, 
Is quite beyond my telling. 
Both parties had the best of fate, 
They did not fall like cattle ; 
And Satan for a haul must wait, 
Until some other battle. 

Of course they all some cover got, 
To save them from their f oemen ; 
For soldiers in a fight do not, 
Expose themselves like showmen. 
The dead and wounded list all 

told, 
Was two men and eleven; 
Of whom two died, and being rebs, 
They must have gone to heaven. 



BLOCKADE, BUT LITTLE FIGHTING. 

They once put the " Gaitan " to 



Not much more fighting do we 

hear, 

They of each other stand in fear ; 
The three wet stei ns cruise about, 



rout ; 
But in it there was no blood shed, 
On either side not one lay dead. 



90 



All hands are anxious to go 

home, 
No more on this far sea to roam ; 
We hate the coast— the heavy air, 
No more time here have we to 

spare. 

The days and weeks pass slowly 

by, 
At Carthagena yet we lie ; 
The flag of discord yet is high ; 
The war goes on but very slow; 
The loss of life is very low. 
The rival forts across the bay, 
Fire at each other once a day, 
And all hands under cover stay. 
The rival fleets we seldom see, 
We know not where the gunboats 

be; 
The stern-wheels are by the town, 
They pass but seldom up or 

down ; 
We see them barely once a week, 
They cruise no more their foes to 

seek; 
The city's big guns do not speak. 
The rebels are encamped outside, 
Their time most patiently they 

bide; 
Upon the town they do not blow, 
They do not want to kill the foe. 
The town is full of their dear 

kin, 
To murder whom would be a 

sin. 
But as they would the city win, 
Without a heavy loss of life, 
Thus do they wish to close the 

strife. 
The Unionists they will starve 

out, 
The rebs know what they are 

about; 
They will not slay their foes like 

sheep, 



But all provisions will they 

keep 
Outside the ramparts of the 

town, 
Until the Unions shall come 

down; 
And make submission bare and 

low, 
Before the stronger rebel foe . 
Before the rebels must they 

throw, 
Themselves and their belongings 

all, 
Before the rebs thus must they 

fall, 
Or else inside the city wall. 
One ounce of food shall never 

go; 
The only food the rebel foe, 
Will to the starving people give, 
Is not the kind to make them live. 
For bursting shell or solid ball, 
They may send in above the wall, 
Of bread they will send none at 

all. 
The Union Dons no meat can 

carve, 
The common people all must 

starve, 
Unless they drive the foe away, 
Or say that they have lost the 

day; 
And their resistance must they 

cease, 
And with the rebels sue for peace. 
And they must bring their gran- 
deur down, 
And to the rebs give up the town, 
And open all their gateways wide, 
And let the rebs march through 

in pride ; 
In triumph march through square 

and street, 
Before the people shall get meat , 
Or bread or other food to eat, 



91 

BATTLE OF BARU. 
(Sunday, April, 19tb. 1885) 

It is three long weeks and a day ; Which the three 

Since we re-entered this old bay, 

.And we are sick of our long stay : 

One heavy battle have we seen — 

The stern wheels and bark be- 
tween ; 

Which we have written of before ; 

•Of fighting we have seen no more. 

Except some shots from fort to 
fort— 

In which there is but little sport ; 

-And almost all the mark fall wide 

And fall into the briney tide ; 

And seldom strike the other side. 



The Union fleet sail down the bay 
And glorious is the sun to-day: 
The three wet sterns in their 

pride ; 
Pass by us on the sunny tide. 
They pass the ship "Powhatan"' 

'by— 
Their country's fate this day to 

try. 
The "Rafael Nunez, "in her pride, 
And the brave "Union" at her 

side; 
And the third stern wheeler too : 
Their country's work this day 

to do; 
And all look strong, and fresh 

and new. 
They sail along to meet the foe : 
The rebel gun boat down below ; 
Which by the rebel village lies — 
Wide open are the soldier's eyes. 

They see the rebel boat at last, 
And on her they charge hot and 

fast; 
The rebels have a village by, 
The rebel flag is waiving high ! 
A little town without a wall, 
And strongly held — though very 

small ; 



stern wheels 

attack. 
No courage do the Unions lack ; 
They fire upon the rebel town ; 
To bring the haughty rebels 

down. 
"Back Paddle" and "Wet Stern 

Jane," 
Their shells and bullets hotly 

rain: 
Their other consort does the same: 
The three wet sterns know their 

game. 
Upon the "Graitan' and the shore 
Their heavy fires they hotly pour ; 
Far down on Carthagena bay — 
Two miles from where our vessel 

lay; 
The fight goes on for half a day; 
The rebs are ready for the foe : 
The rebs return blow for blow : 
In their good cause their hearts 

they throw. 

Behind their breastworks do they 

stand, 
To do the honors of the land ; 
To San Domingo's armed band. 
San Domingo is the man — 
Who did this bloody battle plan ; 
The union general is he, 
And admiral upon the sea ; 
From Panama, Domingo came: 
Here to uphold the nation's fame, 
And to keep up the nation's name. 

The rebels fire their shot and 

shell, 
And will their footing dearly sell ; 
The fight is raging very hot— 
And of the rebs a few are shot ; 
In heavy fire both sides are 

caught. 
Hour after hour they fire away, 
The stern wheels upon the bay ; 



92 



Upon the open village play — 

Which the bold rebs most coolly 
take, 

And hot return do they make ; 

For their good cause, and coun- 
try's sake. 

At last one heavy stern wheel. 
Not taking care her way to feel ; 
Has touched the bottom with her 

keel: 
Although she has no anchor cast, 
She finds that she is anchored 

fast. 
Her consorts from her side have 

passed ; 
The two "Wet Stern Janes " must 

go— 
They cannot fight the rebel foe ; 
They find the rebels are not slow ; 
They think it better to retreat — 
No more the rebel's fire to meet: 
The rebel fire to meet no more ; 
From off the gunboat or the 

shore. 

The third "Wet Stern Jane" is 

fast, 
Securely is her anchor cast ; 
Far too securely should I say, 
She would but cannot go away: 
This is for her a fatal day. 
Her consorts fly and she is here, 
And for her footing must pay 

dear ; 
She has good cause to stand in 

fear. 
The rebels all upon her fire, 
And of their sport they never tire ; 
She now is riddled hard and hot, 
And five of her good men are 

shot! 
One rumor said that six were 

slain ; 
Alas! for poor "Wet Stern Jane!" 



At last a tumble do they take, 
No more resistance will they 

make; 
They wave a flag of truce on 

high— 
Which quickly takes the rebel's 

eye; 
The firing which had been so hot ; 
Has ceased upon the mortal spot ! 

"Wet Stern Jane"is close to land •; 
Some of the bold insurgent band, 
Wade out up to their very necks. 
And soon are on the blcody decks ,, 
Around they see their foemen 

slain ; 
The wounded soldiers roar with 

pain; 
Alas ! for poor "Wet Stern Jane V 

The Union banner has been 

lowered : 
In triumph do the rebels board; 
Her captain gives away his sword. 
Her soldiers stack their arms all, 
And in a line at once they fall: 
And with their hands held up in . 

air; 
Of belts and muskets being bare ; 
They stand before the rebels 

there. 
Before their conquerors they 

stand — 
But all are children of one land r 
The rebels have the stronger 

hand: 
The rebs are under fortune's star ;. 
Their foes are prisoners of war. 
They had three fighting ships 

before : 
To fight the town, to watch the 

shore ; 
But now they have one vessel 

more. 



93 



This is for them a lucky day ; 
They are the victors in the fray ; 
They have four vessels on the bay. 
The Unions now have got but 

three ; 
The rebs are stronger on the sea ; 
The rebs are stronger on the 

shore, 
And now the rebel flag waves o'er. 
The deck of poor "Wet Stern 

Jane," 
Above her does the red flag reign ; 
While yet her wounded are in 

pain. 

Their wounds are dressed with 

softest lent, 
And then all hands ashore are 

sent: 
But the poor prisoners of war; 
Are not sent from the vessel far. 
They all embrace the rebel cause ; 
In spite of loyalty's straight laws, 
And on their action do not pause. 
The rebel cause they all embrace ; 



Their comrades in hot war to 

face — 
We do not much admire their 

case. 

The bodies of the fallen brave — 
Who for both causes died to save r 
Are now all borne to the grave. 
Outside the little rebel town 
The fallen soldiers are laid down : 
They now are laid beneath the 

soil; 
Thev never, never more shall 

toil; 
They never, never more shall 

fight; 
Indeed, it was a solemn sight. 
While they are laid beneath the 

land, 
Their friends and foes above them 

stand ; 
Their friends and foes are hand- 
in-hand. 
Each fallen brave is laid in bed ; 
The living go and leave the dead ! 



GENERAL GA1TAN. 



The rebels have a leader great ; 
A man of courage, skill and 

weight , 
A noble, gallant, fearless man, 
Is their great general, Gaitan. 
A patriot indeed is he — 
Xo truer patriot can be, 
And he will set his country free. 
With tender heart but iron will, 
From his headquarters on the hill, 
He overlooks the battle ground, 
And at his post is always found, 
For he is earnest, whole and 

sound. 

And if the rebs are beaten down 
Before the ramparts of the town, 
And that they have to fly away, 



From Carthagena's bloody fray, 
The latest man in the retreat, 
And slowest in the use of feet, 
Will be that noble, fearless man, 
The gallant rebel chief, G-aitan. 

And if Gaitan shall take the town,, 
And put the Union leaders down, 
It will be a most happy day 
For all concerned in the fray, 
For he shall prove a friend in need : 
The starving people will he feed, 
For he is saving bread and meat, 
To give his enemies to eat — 
To be divided in the street, 
Between the people of the town, 
When they shall pull their colors 
down. 



94 



And if the people starve to death, 
And to cold hunger yield their 

breath, 
When he would give them meat 

and bread, 
Their blood be on Domingo's head 
The great Gaitan his bread will 

spare 
With all his enemies to share, 
If they will but their ramparts 

yield, 
And own him master of the field. 

Gaitan is by his men adored ; 
They will encounter fire and 

sword, 
And face their foemen's deadly 

balls 
IProm Carthagena 1 * awful walls ! 
When they know that it is his will, 
But little blood Gaitan will spill. 
One drop of blood he would not 

shed, 
Nor wish to see a foeman dead, 
If he could close the awful strife 
Without the loss of human life. 

The people all are at his side, 
Throughout the country far and 

wide ; 
la him there is no pomp or pride. 
Each rebel soldier does his most 
For the commander of the host ; 
Each rebel officer and man 
Would lose his life to save Gaitan. 

Some of the ship "Powhatan's" 

crew, 
Blue jackets and cheese cutters, 

too, 
•One April morning left the ship 
Upon a pleasant pleasure trip. 
They went ashore and took a 

tramp, 
And struck upon- the rebel camp . 



By accident on it they ran/ 
And there met General Gaitan, 
As usual upon his post, 
And nobly did he act the host 
To our disciples of the sea, 
A perfect gentleman is he. 

His family came o'er the main, 
From the romantic land of Spain, 
Where they held rank and high 

degree, 
But wanted to be still more free, 
And so they came across the sea. 
Gaitan is of a noble race ; 
Nobility is in his face ; 
And nobler blood has never run 
Beneath the warm Spanish sun, 
In King or Knight, or fighting 

man 
Than runs so freely in Gaitan. 

With our disciples of the sea 
Gaitan was courteous, frank and 

free, 
With posture gentle, but erect ; 
To all he paid the same respect, 
And gave his free and honest hand 
To each of the "Powhatan's" 

band. 
With Jepson, our ship's writer, he 
Shook hands quite warmly and 

free. 
To Hickok, our pay yeoman, too ; 
And more of the "Powhatan's" 

crew, 
Both officers and jackets blue. 
He did the honors of the land, 
To each he gave his honest hand. 

He is as humble as a child, 
And though his men are bold and 

wild, 
He has them under his control, 
For he has a commanding soul. 
Commanding power is in his eye ; 



95 



His soldiers all for him would die ; 
And though he may not gain the 

day 
In this uncertain present fray, 
He yet shall lead a greater band 
Than that which he has now on 

hand, 



He shall be ruler of the land. 
A President he yet shall be, 
And rule the land from sea to sea, 
And in the chair of Nunez sit, 
For which post he is fully fit. 
The country has no better man 
Than the insurgent chief, Gaitan. 



PROGRESS OF THE SIEGE. 
(Monday, April 20th, 1885). 



""Wet Stern Jane" is in com- 
mission ; 

Another course has her ambition ; 

JSo longer for the Unions she 

Is cruising on the briny sea. 

The rebel flag she proudly wares, 

Her decks are full of rebel braves, 

In all their glory, strength and 
pride, 

To fight against the Union side ; 

Though some of them one day 
ago, 

Foup-ht for the haughty Union 
foe; 

Fought for the Unions hard and 
hot, 

Upon this very, very spot . 

But fate has changed their bear- 
ings now, 

And to the rebel side they bow. 

They came the rebels to attack ; 

They came the rebel town to 
sack ; 

And when to Carthagena back, 

They will on their new mission 
go, 

It will be as the Unions' foe. 

The rebels are in spirits high, 
More daring actions will they try, 
Outside no longer will they lie. 
Commissioned is "Wet Stern 

Jane," 
To fight the Unions on the main, 
She now most cheerfully will rain, 



As hot a fire as she can throw, 
Upon the hated Union foe. 
Back to the town wall will she go, 
Upon her former friends to play, 
With shot and shell by night and 

day. 
' 'Wet Stern Jane " fears not a 

fray, 
"Wet Stern "is a gallant boat, 
'Tis true she is a turncoat. 
She changed her flag upon the 

main, 
But 'tis no fault of "Wet Tailed 

Jane," 
If o'er her does the red flag reign. 

The rebels just outside the walls, 
With bullets and with heavy 

balls, 
Upon this awful April night, 
Keep Carthagena to her fight. 
Aboard the ship "Powhatan" we, 
Although three English miles at 

sea, 
The big guns' rattle plainly hear, 
And the fort batteries more near. 
The big guns of Castel le Grand, 
Manned by a hardy Union band, 
Upon sweet Manzanillo play, 
All night until the break of day. 
The musket shots we plainly hear. 
And their reports are very clear : 
We hear them clear, as clear can 

be, 
The sound is carried on the sea; 



And through the silent midnight 

air, 
It could be heard ten miles from 

there. 
Upon the poor devoted town, 
The rebel batteries fire down, 
And back upon the rebels then, 
The hardy city's fighting men, 
Fire all their arms great and 

small ; 
Their bursting shells and heavy 

ball, 
They fire upon the rebels all. 

The ship " Powhatan " lies away, 
Three miles at least upon the bay, 
And silently we see the fray, 
Or hear the firing loud, I mean, 
For very little have we seen. 
We barely see the flash of light, 
So sudden and so fiercely bright 
Amid the darkness of the night. 
'Tis fearful to behold each flash, 
And to imagine what a crash, 
Its fearful messenger may make, 
How many lives one shell may 
take. 

The rebels seem the stronger 

side, 
At present they are full of pride; 
By reason of their better luck, 
For that on yesterday they took, 
"Wet Stern Jane" upon the 

shore, 
And now their fighting ships are 

four ; 
The schooner out upon the bay, 
Which from the city keeps away ; 
The tugs "Commancho and 

"Gaitan," 
Commanded by an able man,* 
Who can a naval battle plan, 
In harbor or upon the main ; 
Their fourth ship is "Wet Stern 

Jane " 
*Commodore Eckert. 



The Union navy now is low, 
And is far weaker than its foe, 
And to the wall I fear must go. - 
The bark " Colombia " they keep 
In some far corner of the deep ; 
We know not where she is ahide, 
The bay is open, broad and wide. 
She never takes a cruise about, 
To put the rebel boats to rout ; 
But keeps in some sweet cozy 

spot, 
Beyond the range of bullets hot. 
The two "Wet Stern -Janes" are 

here, 
And seem to know not much of 

fear; 
They always are about the bay, 
And ready for a fight or fray, 
And anxious their old foes to 

meet ; 
These two compose the Union 

fleet. 
How mortifying it must be, 
To these two war ships of the sea, 
To see their sister — th'other Jane, 
Opposing them upon the main; 
Unnatural it must appear, 
To see their sister once so dear, 
Now cruising on the rebel side ; 
How mortifying to their pride, 
Their sister as their foe to see ; 
But stranger things shall some- 
times be. 
How many men were killed this 

night, 
In camp and city through the 

fight; 
By bullet, bayonet, ball and shell, 
I am unable now to tell, 
Communication is not great, 
And for details I have to wait ; 
And when particulars are got, 
Of all the rebs and Unions shot, 
I will insert it in my rhyme, 
And that at no far distant 

time. 



97 



Tuesdat, April 21st. 

Next morning breaks as bright 

and clear, 
As any morning in the year; 
The morning dawns as clear and 

bright, 
As if there had not been a fight, 
Ashore through half the previous 

night. 
The fighting ceased at midnight 

hour ; 
And sleep's recuperative power, 
Is by both rebs and Unions 

sought, 
And fire and flash are down to 

nought. 
The day is sunny, hot and grand, 
The sun shines' brightly on this 

land ; 
His rays are hotly pouring down 
On Carthagena , bay and town, 
Upon the rebels full of pride, 
And on their foes the walls in- 
side. 

The rebels seem in luck this day, 
Another man-of-war have they; 
Another ship is in the bay, 
Another large "Wet Stern Jane," 
Has come from o'er the Spanish 

main, 
The rebel general to aid, 
And Carthagena to blockade ; 
And are the Unions not afraid? 

The Union General is tough, 

Domingo is of stern stuff ; 

But his strength is not half en- 
ough, 

Before the rebels now to stand. 

The rebels have the stronger 
hand, 

And must in time possess the 
land. 

The new rebel ' 'Wet Stern Jane," 



Has brought from o'er the Span- 
ish main, 
A force of soldiers true and tried , 
To fight upon the rebel side ; 
To charge on Carthagena town, 
And pull the Union banner down. 
The rebel army now is great. 
And at no very distant date, 
The Unionists for peace must sue, 
And must give up the city too. 
The rebel army shall march in ; 
The rebels must the city win. 
I almost think it is a sin — 
For San Domingo not to go : 
And come to terms with the foe ; 
And thereby loss of life prevent. 
Within the ramparts is he pent; 
The people have no food to eat: 
They have no bread, they have 

no meat, 
The great Gaitan, the rebel chief; 
Will not let in an ounce of beef. 
In them to keep the breath of 

life; 
Much better far to close the strife. 
At once, all fighting then should 

cease ; 
The city would repose in peace : 
The rebels would provisions bring 
The rebs and unions all might 

sing; 
With joy they would the church 

bells ring. 
The rebs and Unions shall be one , 
Instead of father, fighting son; 
As may be seen this very day, 
In this most cruel civil f ray ; 
One brother is a Union bold — 
The city's ancient walls to hold ; 
Another brother is outside 
And in the rebel cause feels pride ; 
And war must this dispute de- 
cide. 

The sun is gently falling down, 



98 



On Carthagena bay and town, 
There had not been much fire all 

day — 
The night time is the time for 

play; 
For foe at foe to fire away . 
Last night's hard firing they 

repeat — 
And in the middle of the street ; 
The rebels do their missiles 

throw. 
This night how heavy is the blow, 
They strike at the poor Union foe ; 
From night fall until midnight 

hour, 
In all their might and strength 

and power! 
From castle and from wall and 

tower ! 
At one another do they play, 
How awful noisy is the fray; 
Yet, all hands under cover stay. 
With shot and shell the town is 

filled ; 
Yet, not a single man is killed. 
Our consul did the powder smell ; 
His house was entered by a shell ; 
But none of his large household 

fell. 
It entered by an upper door — 
And burst upon the corridor ; 
And flew in splinters on the floor. 
It must have been a stupid aim , 
For which the rebs should get no 

blame : 
The rebs respect our country's 

name, 
And would not shell that sacred 

spot; 
Our banner they would injure 

not; 
It must have been a random shot. 

Wednesday, April 22d. 
Excitement now is at its height, 



The rebels in their strength and 
might — 

Are gaining quickly in the fight. 

Of fighting ships they now have 
five; 

Their men are active and alive, 

And fit to fight with courage- 
high — 

To take the city or to die ! 

Alas ! for the poor Union side, 
They have bare walls and empty 

pride : 
The city they will not surrender ; 
Although their strength is very 

slender. 
Aboard the ship it now is said, 
The Unionists have lost their 

head; 
The Unionists have lost their 

chief ; 
If true, their cause must come to 

grief. 
' 'The great Domingo brave 'and 

grand, 
The greatest leader in the land ; 
Who has theUnion cause in hand ; 
The Union chief by land and sea, 
And ruler of the town is he : 
While with some men outside the 

town, 
The rebel soldiers run him down ; 
They take him captive sure and 

sound — 
And bring him to thel rebel 

ground." 
We laughed when we were told 

this tale, 
And in two hours it was quite 

stale ; 
Of course we all believed it not — 
That San Domingo could be 

caught. 
We asked Con. Leary was it true, 
And in a passion high he flew ; 



99 



And said: "Domingo is all right; 
He was not captured in the fight, 
Domingo has gone out of sight ; 
Some other chief the case must 

mend; 
The great Domingo, he has 

skinned ! 
The great Domingo has skinned 

out, 
And I have not the slightest 

doubt— 
That he is better off to-day : 
Than when engaged in bloody 

fray. 
Xo more shall he lead men to 

fight- 
He spread his wings and took to 

flight; 
And at the midnight hour to- 
night, 
I will peruse the shining stars. 
And find out where this son of 

mars 
Has gone to seek a life of ease. 
I guess he is beyond the seas: 
I told you all a week ago, 
That San Domingo was not slow : 
1 told you all that he would fly — 
In other lands his luck to try ; 
You ask me is his capture true ; 
Why don't you ask me something 

new?" 
All hands believe the novel tale, 
Not soon shall this affair be stale ; 
We all know it is not a lie, 
It is confirmed by and by: 
The news is scattered 'far and 

wide — 
But still the Unions in their pride, 
Will not the luckless city yield; 
For with their strong walls for a 

shield, 



The ancient "ramparts will they 

hold; ' 

Against the fierce insurgents 

bold. 
We know not now who holds the 

reins ; 
But doubt that they have got the 

means — 
To keep the city very long; 
Although their ramparts may be 

strong. 
They have but two "Wet Stern 

Janes," 
And San Domingo is in chains ; 
And if this story is not true — 
Then from his post the fellow 

flew; 
He is no longer on the ground, 
And he is nowhere to be found. 

Our ship lies three miles from 

the town, 
Three miles upon the harbor 

down ; 
And as the rebels are so strong. 
They will not now wait very long r 
For a fierce charge upon their foe ; 
Whose strength is now so very low 
We all expect this very night, 
To see the climax of the fight : 
And as they may the city take, 
In which case robbers may break : 
All through the town a haul to 

make. 
We lift our anchor in the bay, 
And towards the city steam away r 
And at short distance from the 

town ; 
Again we throw our anchor down. 
The city we are now quite near, 
The consul has no cause for fear : 
For if the rebs the city take, 



NOTE.— Mr. O'Leary here made a mistake for once. General San 
Domingo did not desert his country; he retreated to Barnquilla after the 
battle of Baru ; but this was not known at Carthagena for some time after 



100 



No robbers can his castle break ; 
The ship "Powhatan" is at hand, 
Our sailors and marines to land. 
These gallant children of the 

wave, 
The consul from all hurt to save. 

All hands expect a bloody fight, 
On Carthagena's walls to-night : 
"The rebel five strong ships to 

come, 
And show us that they are not 

dumb; 
We all expect to see their fleet — 
Come up the Unionists to beat ,?■ 
Come up the luckless town to 

blow: 
To break the ramparts of the foe ; 
Their shells into the town to 

throw. 
The night on us has fallen down, 
We see no fighting by the town , 
And through the darkness of the 

night — 
We do not see the flash of light ! 
That tells us that a gun is fired ; 
Of waiting we are getting tired. 
We do not hear a gun's report — 
From city, castle, ship or fort ; 
The rebel fleet keeps far away, 
At their headquarters down the 

bay; 
The rebels have deferred the fray. 
We never saw the place so quiet ; 
A shot has not been fired to- 
night. 

The rebels have deferred the 

hour; 
But in their might, and strength 

and power; 
They will attack the city yet, 
On this attack their minds are 

set; 
Their fleet before the town shall 

lie; 



And at poor Carthagena fly. 
With all their missiles small and 

great, 
And thus decide their country's 

fate. 

Friday, April 24th. 
Of fighting there was none next 

day, 
The rebels keep their ships away, 
But are preparing for the fray. 
The sun goes down and comes 

again, 
Gaitan and all his gallant men, 
Are on the war path now once 

mure, 
In all their strength on sea and 

shore, 
Their fire upon the town to pour. 

The sun is shining hot and gay, 
The rebel fleet is on the bay. 
Will they attack the town to-day? 
The gallant rebels are alive, 
And with their fighting vessels 

five, 
For Carthagena will they strive. 
The smallest vessel in the fleet, 
Comes first the Unionists to meet ; 
She fires upon Castle le Grand, 
Which by the Union troops is 

manned. 
The gunboat's brave and gallant 

men. 
Fire at the Union troops again. 
The Unionists their bullets throw 
Upon the daring little foe, 
Which steams up steadily but 

slow. 

The Unions from behind their 

walls, 
Fire off their bullets, shells and 

balls. 
Both sides this morning are in 

luck, 
For not a single man is struck. 



101 



The other ships are standing by, 
Away inactively they lie ; 
A single shot they do not try, 
Upon the Unionists on land. 
Of course their programme has 

been planned, 
In time they all shall give a hand. 

Beyond the foeman's range of 
fire, 

Does the brave gunboat now re- 
tire, 

And meets her gallant consorts 
four, 

And they are waiting for some 
more, 

For some more ships will come to 
aid, 

The rebels in their grand block- 
ade. 

The Unions are most closely pent ; 

An ultimatum now is sent 

To the commander of the town, 

To pull his haughty banner down, 

By six o'clock p. m. this day, 

Or they will shell the town away ; 

In short, they will bombard the 
town! 

And burn every building down ! 

But they for space give this one 
chance, 

'Ere on the city they advance. 

The night is sweetly falling down 
On Carthagena bay and town, 
On tower and barrack, wall and 

dock; 
It is the hour of six o'clock. 
What answer have the rebels got? 
"Will the bold Unions fight or 

not? 
"What noise is that? Is that a 

shot? 
The Unions fire a heavy shell, 
"Which plainly does their mean- 
ing tell ; 



Their food is poor, their strength 
is slender, 

But that one shot means "No Sur- 
render!!!" 

They never, never shall give in, 

To this strong force of rebel men ! 

To brave Gaitan and all his host; 

Who though they hold the bay 
and coast, 

Shall not get in except by storm. 

Which for the rebels shall be 
warm ! 

The rival forts fire hard and fast, 
All hopes of peace are gone and 

past! 
There is no prospect now of 

peace, 
And although in an hour they 

cease, 
Arsd do no firing more to-night; 
We all expect a heavy fight 
Shall very, very soon take place. 
The rebels will the city face, 
And fight their foes at gate and 

wall, 
Although one-half of them may 

fall. 
With bullet, bayonet, shell and 

ball. 
The battle to come off is bound, 
On Carthagena's bloody ground; 
For neither side will bow or bend, 
They will fight to the bitter end. 

The silent midnight hour is come, 
All forts and batteries are dumb. 
The Unions on Castel le Grand. 
No longer by their stronghold 

stand ; 
Their castle they evacuate ; 
With all their arms small and 

great, 
And to the city they retreat, 
With hasty but with noiseless feet ; 
No bugle blows, no drum is beat. 



102 



The famous spot is lone and bare, 
No living creature now is there ; 
It is deserted and alone, 
No party does the fortress own. 
The rebs can now the fortress win, 



They peacefully may enter in ; 
But the brave rebels do not know 
That 'tis deserted by the foe ; 
And uselessly will ply their balls 
Against the bare forsaken walls. 



THE DESERTER. 



Jack Kane has from the galley 

run, 
Our gallant friend is on for fun, 
Jack Kane his liberty has won! 
He cut the string which had him 

tied, 
He flew from Jerry Coughlin's 

side, 
He now has got a playground 

wide. 
He did a very naughty thing, 
In cutting Jerry Coughlin's 

string ; 
But Jacko now can have his fling. 
He is upon the rigging high, 
Half way between the deck 

and sky, 
And the whole ship does he defy. 
He now is breathing freedom's 

air, 
For the whole ship he does not 

care, 
For in him there is nothing soft. 
Our friend Jack Kane has gone 

aloft, 
To look at Carthagena town, 
Upon his shipmates to look down. 
About the rigging does he run, 
Our gallant friend enjoys his fun ! 

He had been tied, he now is free, 
He gazes on the deep blue sea; 
He gazes on the briny main, 
On him there is no cord or chain, 
A happy man is Mister Kane! 
.Aloft in the " Powhatan's " trees. 



He breathes his healthy native- 
breeze ; 

And thinks of the good days of 
yore, 

When with his kin he lived ashore,. 

Will Jacko see them any more? 

His shipmates call him down on, 

deck, 
Their calling does he little reck f 
Aloft he makes his cozy nest, 
Where he most peacefully may 

rest, 
And pass the pleasant night 

away; 
While through the rigging all 

the day, 
With ropes and ladders he can 

To run him down his shipmates 
try, 

But from their clutches does he 
fly; 

He knows they have for him a 
chain, 

They can't lay hands on Mister- 
Kane! 

He has his freedom now three- 

days; 
His shipmates tried a hundred' 

ways, 
To coax him from his lofty nest,. 
But Mister Kane they cannot 

best. 
Again he will not wear a chain y 



103 



A citizen is Mister Kane ! 

They spy him now on the jib- 
boom, 
Where there is little very room. 
I mean there is no room to spare, 
He has his footing to a hair. 
His shipmates think they have 

him caught, 
But Jacko thinks that they have 

not; 
And Scissors on him makes a 

drive, 
But Jack is active and alive, 
And flies up to the very end ; 
He flies just like the very wind, 
But Scissors and some other 

blues, 
Will not this chance of Jacko 

lose, 
Along the jibboom do they run, 
All hands aboard enjoy the fun ; 
Upon the boom's bare end is he, 
Beneath him is the briny sea, 
And Mister Kane will yet be free ! 
He now is out upon the top. 
Aboard the ship he will not stop, 
Into the sea does Jacko drop ! 

The news flies like the wind, 
That Jacko from the ship has 

skinned ; 
He would serve Uncle Sam no 

mere, 
He now is making for the shore, 
Where the insurgent army lies, 
But on him are too many eyes ; 
He now is swimming through the 

main, 
No more to wear a string or chain, 
A happy man is Mister Kane. 

He well knows how to use his 

limbs, 
And for the rebel camp he swims, 



To join the army of Gaitan. 
The rebs shall have another man ! 
To help to put the Unions down, 
And to take Carthagena town. 
And Jack makes for the rebel 

shore, 
To join Gaitan's insurgent corps ; 
But it was otherwise decreed, 
Not one of us our fate can lead ; 
But we must all submit to fate, 
However high or low our state. 
A boat is sent to capture Jack, 
To bring the bold deserter back. 
Six oars are quickly on the bend, 
The boat flies like the very wind ; 
In hopes to get a high reward, 
For bringing Master Jack aboard, 
The rowers do their muscles 

strain, 
And soon came up with Mr Kane. 

They pick him quickly from the 

tide, 
And haul him o'er the cutter's 

side; 
Though very hard did he resist, 
He struggled hard with tooth and 

fist, 
And bit the coxswain on the 

wrist. 
Two other sailors, too, he bit, 
But to his fate he should submit. 
The boat back to the gangway 

came, 
All hands are calling Jacko's 

name, 
And Jack is feeling rather tame ; 
His pride is sorely mortified, 
For in the galley he is tied, 
With a secure and firm chain, 
In irons bound is Mister Kane. 

His liberty he could not win, 
Though he tried very hard to 



104 



He is with Jerry back again, 
A sadder but a wiser man, 
He cannot go to join Gaitan. 
He now has got a quarantine, 
Ashore he shall not soon be seen, 



For three long months he here 

must stay, 
For his desertion must he pay. 
He must stop here and kiss his 

chain ; 
Alas ! alas ! for Mister Kane. 



BURNING OF ASPINWALL. 



The rebels rule in Aspinwall, 
The Union flag they fly, 

All through this cruel, bloody 
brawl 
Their power has here been high. 

No longer are they rebels now, 
They are the powers that be, 

And to no Union will they bow, 
They rule on land and sea. 

The customs do they gather here, 
As their foes did before, 

The Union party are in fear, 
And stand outside the door. 

The Union party are outside, 
And look the city down ; 

Their time most patiently they 
bide, 
To charge upon the town. 

The Union side is getting strong, 
And stronger every day, 

And will not now wait very long, 
They will commence the fray. 

The rebels see their rival's power, 
Their foemen hold the land ; 

They see their foes from wall and 
tower, 
And know they cannot stand. 

They must evacuate the town, 
The Unions will come in, 

But Aspinwall shall burn down 
Before the foe shall win. 



They place the blazing faggot hot 
Beneath the humble thatch, 

And instantly the flame is caught ; 
Too quickly does it catch. 

They place the blazing faggot red, 
Within i he rich man's hall, 

And all about the fire is spread, 
Alas ! for Aspinwall ! 

They place the blazing faggot 
bright, 

The poor man's roof beneath, 
The city is one blaze of light! 

The foe may show his teeth. 

The people from their houses run, 
Men, women, children all, 

Half naked in the broiling sun, 
Alas ! for Aspinwall ! 

Some people to theirchurches fly, 
And some run to the quays, 

And some to save their houses try, 
But all are in a blaze ! 

For instantly the fire is spread; 

All timber houses fall ; 
The city is one blaze of red : 

Alas ! for Aspinwall ! 

The rebels' cruel work is done ; 

The place is burned down, 
And from the burning place they 
run — 

Their rivals have the town. 



105 



Most quickly in the Unions pour 
The rebs are gone away ; 

Oh! Aspinwall, thy case is sore; 
Where shall thy people stay? 

The Unionists and people all 
Combine for one good cause: 

They try to save poor Aspinwall 
With water, stream and hose. 

With hose and water do they play 
Upon the burning town. 

Next morning at the break of 
day, 
The fire is coming down. 

Large streams of water do they 
drop 

The burning city o'er: 
And day or night they never stop 

Till fire is seen no more. 

There is one building in the place, 

In this devoted town, 
Which the insurgents do not face, 

And dare not burn down. 

The Consul of the Stripes and 
Stars, 



His house is guarded well 
By brave marines and gallant tars, 
With musket, ball and shell. 

Far away in Carthagena 
The ship "Powhatan" lay, 

But her consort, the "Galena," 
Is here this awful day. 

And the Galena's noble crew, 
Marines and sailors brave, 

Have done all in their power to do, 
The citizens to save. 

The fire of Aspinwall is quenched, 
From town wall to the shore ; 

With water is the city drenched,. 
The flame is seen no more. 

The fire of Aspinwall is gone : 
But still the deadly brawl 

Between the rival sides goes on, 
But not in Aspinwall. 

In ruins is the good old town ; 

Its streets are lone and bare ; 
Its buildings all are burned down ; 

No Aspinwall is there ! 



SWIMMING PARTY ON EASTER SUNDAY. 

On Easter Sunday afternoon, eighteen and eighty-five, 

Three of our petty officers, in humor for a dive, 

In humor for a swim upon sweet Carthagena bay, 

Where our good ship the ' ' Powhatan " at anchor safely lay, 

They asked the first lieutenant for his leave to go ashore, 

In company with two marines, full privates in the corps. 

He gave them leave to go ashore to sail across the bay, 
And told them to enjoy themselves the balance of the day, 
He told them to enjoy themselves according to their bent, 
And with them four good sailors with a little boat he sent; 
The little boat makes good her away the lovely harbor through, 
And of this pleasure party we will have a grand review. 



106 

Jepson the ships writer held the rudder; in his hand, 
And piloted our little boat most skilfully to land, 
He is a long time on the bea, apprentice boy and man, 
And to a cozy bathing ground our little boat he ran. 

And our apothecary with his hand upon an oar, 
Was one of this gay company now making for the shore, 
His name is Henry Wimmer ; he is up to every game, 
A gallant fearless swimmer and from New York he came ; 
He is good at his profession, can cure all sailors ills, 
He understands diseases all ; and medicines and pills. 

Our engineer's gay yeoman, he was of the party too, 
And with good spirit pulled an oar upon the harbor blue; 
He is a Southern by birth, from Norfolk town he came; 
Virginia is his native earth and Powell is his name. 

And Private James O'Doherty is on to have his dive, 

And his comrade William Harvey now completes the list of five, 

O'Doherty good service saw upon dry land and ocean 

And more than once has he attained the badges of promotion. 

From Canada bold Harvey came, the English flag was flying, 
And to the states he made his way his fortune to be trying, 
He might have struck good luck at home but our bold hero missed it, 
He made his way to Brooklyn town and in the corps enlisted. 

They step ashore, they doff their clothes, and rush into the sea, 

And swim about like porpoises, so careless light and free, 

They run in on the shore again so sandy, smooth and fine, 

And plunge into the waves again, the five are in a line : 

They swim and dive, these gallant five enjoy themselves like fish: 

They now have got a splendid bath which was their dearest wish. 

How cool and pleasant is a swim when heat is very high ; 

How sweet to plunge about the sea and on the waves to lie, 

How sweet to plunge head foremost in and have a cooling dive, 

So felt our gallant company, our pleasure seeking five. 

They dress themselves, they walk about, they all go for a tramp, 

They walk about the country till they reach the rebel camp, 

The rebels do their bayonets fix and charge upon them down, 

They think our heroes are their foes from Carthagena town, 

They fire, but their wild bullets do not strike our gallant five ; 

They fall a pretty distance off, our heroes are alive ! 

They dreamt not of a battle so they fly a flag of truce, 

The rebels see their great mistake and throw their arms loose, 

The rebel general comes out, apologies to make, 

And begs a thousand pardons for the sentinel's mistake . 



107 

He invites our gallant swimmers with his officers to dine, 
Tnd with them a good time they have on plenty Rhenish wine, 
They drink the health of Uncle Sam, Gaitan and San Domingo, 
In English and in Spanish, and other sorts of lingo : 
They drink to Paddy Bolivar, to their dear friends at home, 
They drink to Grover Cleveland and the holy Pope' of Rome. 

With colonels and with generals they had their wine to-day, 
But they must go aboard their ship no longer can they stay, 
Oh what a jolly time they had while in the rebel camp , 
Andfoh ! how merry did they feel when on the backward tramp. 
They get aboard the vessel and with spirits light and gay 
They tell of the good times they had and how they spent the day. 
How with the rebel officers this Sunday did they dine, 
And what a jolly time they had on plenty Rhenish wine. 

Their shipmates hear the story and, by Jove! they are amazed, 

And for their hospitality the rebels how they praised ; 

.And Easter Sunday afternoon eighteen and eighty five, 

All hands shall think with pleasure on while on this earth alive. 

MINSTREL TROUP AT CARTHAGENA, 
(April 14, 1885.) 

In old Carthagena too long have we been, 

Of town and of harbor enough have we seen, 

We are sick of the country, the climate, the war, 

And our hearts are away o'er the ocean afar ; 

For the last seven days but two shots have they fired, 

And they will not have peace though of war they are tired, 

And our ship shall not sail till the fighting shall cease, 

Till the Unions and rebs have agreed to a peace. 

Some of our good shipmates quite sick of the port, 
Got a sweet concert up for the company's sport. 
On the fourteenth of April at eight in the night, 
Did the concert come off with the gay candle light ; 
As a theatre now is our quarterdeck seen, 
And the flags of three nations are used as a screen ; 
Behind three fine banners our minstrels are dressed, 
And now on the stage they appear in their best. 

Mister Albee, the manager, comes to the front, 

Two gallant ships' companies faces to brunt, 

For with Britain's proud'sailors our decks now are full; 

The soldiers and sailors of mighty John Bull. 

Prom the great English vessel beside us which lay, 



108 

Have come to enjoy the sweet music and play, 
We have the best half of the "Canada's" crew, 
And almost the whole of her officers too. 

To the front does bold Albee, the manager, come, 

And by Jove, he is not either bashful or dumb ! 

With the air of an actor in walk and in face, 

In the front of the stage does he now take his place; 

He looks quite theatrical, lofty and grand, 

He now introduces the dark minstrel band. 

He goes to the rear of the three bannered screen— 

And all in their glory the minstrels are seen, 

The stage is quite spacious, convenient and wide, 
And all our dark minstrels appear in their pride ; 
And now for the joke, and the song and the dance ; 
Our gay gallant minstrels all forward advance : 
And song after song on the stage do they sing, 
How their musical voices with harmony ring; 
And the splendid hurrahs which they everywhere hear ; 
Prove that all their gay music is sweet to the ear. 

By Mister Fred. Jepson, the banjo is played, 
And with sweet vocal music, the company aid ; 
George Murphy then sings a fine comical song, 
And stout Louis Becke, helps him ably along: 
And Mister George Sheldon sings tenor so sweet; 
The audience call loudly on him to repeat. 
Joe Graham and Baker, a nigger sketch show ; 
And the audience at once into laughter they throw. 
It could not by amateurs better be done, 
And all hands enjoy the sweet music and fun; 
For the minstrels threw out many pieces of wit, 
To the time and the place, and the company fit : 
Which are hugely enjoyed by the audience in blue ; 
Our shipmates, and also the "Canada's' 1 crew. 
The great English officers, blues and marines, 
Are entranced by the music, the wit and the scenes. 
Our friend, Mister Jackson, was boss of the hatch, 
And for smartness of tongue he has not got a match ; 
His jokes were so rich, and so keen was their drift — 
That the sailors of England, compared him to Swift. 
"Why is our good ship, like a desert?" asked he: 
All hands were unable the likeness to see; 
But our eyes very quickly were opened out wide — 
"We are so short of water!" bold Jackson replied. 



109 

By Mister Tom Eason, some smart things were said, 

lor Tom has a clever theatrical head; 

He gave us some riddles so strange and so new; 

That he puzzled the heads of the audience in blue. 

"Why should we want Moses, aboard this good ship?'" 

A dead silence falls on each mariner's lip. 

"As we can get no water;" did Eason, reply: 

"By the touch of his staff, from a gun it should fly!" 

The comical parts of a husband and wife, 

Were now acted ably and true to the life ; 

They were both of the noble, dark African race, 

And by Jove, they were both black enough in the face 

The young nigger husband was Mister George Pratt, 

And he wore a rakish and comical hat; 

And his wife was a tail nigger lady so fair; 

With a figure so grand and a beauty so rare. 

The name of this fair one was sweet Agilade, 
And upon our gay boys great impression she made; 
How they envied George Pratt, such a wife to possess. 
And she seemed not to be very lavish in dress. 
Her garments were simple ; devoid of all show, 
Her money on folly she never will throw; 
She is just the lass for a sailor to take, 
And Mister George Pratt has come in for a stake. 
When this fair young lady was in private life, 
And before she became Mister Pratt's loving wife; 
Her name was George ITfford, she followed the sea, 
And in the blue navy a fireman was she. 
Tom Eason comes out as our friend, " Mister Bones " 
And bold Billy Bocker and Charles H. Jones; 
Lift up the grand screen, to the stage thev advance, 
And they give us two songs and a comical dance. 
Joe Byrnes, quite fresh from Ould Erin's green sod* 
Out, out on the stage like an Irishman trod; 
The stage was supposed Castle Garden to be— 
And Joe to be just after crossing the sea. 
But Mister Joe Byrnes was not quite alone ; 
He had a sweet colleen he meant for his own- 
Sweet Biddy Mahoney. so fresh, fair and free: 
And so red in the face from the air of the sea. ' 
And Biddy Mahoney was true to the core, 
And acted to nature the garment she wore ; 
No amateur actress could do it as well; 



110 

Her look, voice and carriage— so perfectly tell. 
She is but a pure, simple Irish colleen ; 
But she acted her part on the stage like a queen, 
Her name off the stage is not Biddy, but Con; 
To the rear of the screen darling Biddy is gone. 

A feeble old nigger comes out on the stage; 

A hundred and one are the years of his age, 

How weak and how trembling this nigger appears ; 

"With the weight of twelve months and a hundred long years. 

His gait is so nervous, so feeble and slow, 

And his name, as he tells us is "Old Black Joe:" 

He limps from the stage, getting weaker and fainter; 

He is Mister Packard, our gallant ship's painter. 

A grand country gentleman on for the chase, 
In the front of the stage takes a prominent place ; 
For the fox hunt this day, does his sporting heart long, 
And while waiting to start; does he give us a song. 
He sings the wild song of the huntsman in red, 
While his hunter to him from the stable is led , 
And his noble hounds rush to the wild chase along, 
As Mister John Lynwood has finished his song. 

The most beautiful song which was sung to night 

Was the great naval war song "The Midshipmite," 

We were lost in amaze 'twas so splendidly sung 

And it came from the wonderful chest and lung 

Of bold Michael Scanlam a native of France, 

He put the ships' companies all in a trance , 

From his musical chest did the melody spring, 

And it soared through the air like an eagle on wing!^ 

For our gay gallant Frenchman knows well how to sing. 

In this way the night passed serenely along, 
The audience quite lost in the dance and the song, 
And the thrilling hurrahs and the clapping of hands, 
From the sons of so many far different lands, 
Prove plainly that all are entranced in the scenes, 
And before the last act of the fall of the screens, 
One loud peal of song on the night air is. rung, 
Our national anthem is gloriously sung. 



Ill 



CONTINUATION OF THE SIEGE OF CARTHAGE NA. 



Forsaken is Castel le Grand, 
And vacant the surrounding land ; 
A rebel boat comes up to see, 
Bow their dear friends the Unions 

be: 
And for salute a shell she throws 
Against the ramparts of her foes: 
The rebels fire and fire away. 
Upon the empty walls they play: 
The Unions do not answer make, 
~No notice of the fire they take. 
The rebels cannot understand 
This silence cold of Castel Grand, 
But come still closer to the land ; 
They slowly steam the fort beside ; 
All eyes are opened clear and wide ; 
Suspecting that a trap is set, 
To catch them in the f oeman's net. 

A landing party step ashore, 
And walk inside the open door; 
They find the fortress lone and 

bare, 
A human being is not there, 
^Evacuated is the spot, 
The rebs have now possession got, 
More boats and soldiers quickly 

land: 
A rebel fort is Castel Grand. 

This night in line the soldiers fall, 
And come close by the city wall. 
About five hundred yards or so, 
From the strong ramparts of the 

foe, 
The sight of which they do not 

fear, 
They pitch their tents undaunted 

here, 
.Beneath the port holes of the foe, 
Who on them do their missiles 

• throw : 
But the insurgents never care, 



No bullets can these rebels scare, 
They build their breastworks on 

the spot, 
Regardless of the firing hot. 
The shells, the bullets and the 

balls, 
From Carthagena's awful walls ! 
By moonlight and by light of sun, 
And here they mount a heavy 

gun, 
On Carthagena's walls to play, 
By darkness and by light of day. 
Upon the town to fire away, 
And while the siege was on the 

town, 
This gun was never beaten down, 
It fired up to the very last, 
And at the Unions did it blast, 
It did its duty through the fray, 
Undauntedly both night and day. 
And on the bloody eighth of May, 
Five hours unceasingly it blazed, 
And ceased not till the siege was 

raised. 

The awful hour has come at last; 
All skirmishing is gone and past ; 
Both parties in their might and 

power, 
Go in for fight this awful hour : 
Before poor Carthagena town : 
They fight to beat each other 

down. 
Our vessel lies upon the deep, 
And every man is sound asleep. 
When suddenly the awful fight, 
Comes on at one o'clock at night, 
And by the noise we are awoke ; 
Our sleep for this one night is 

broke ; 
We run on deck to see the fray : 
We stop there till the break of 

day — 
It is the awful eighth of May ! 



112 

GRAND ASSAULT ON CABTHAGENA. 

(Morning of May 8th, 1885.) 

On Carthagena's ancient walls, the night has fallen down, 
The pale moonlight most dimly falls on harbor and on town ; 
The fighting men of Nunez are retiring for the night, 
And have no expectation with the enemy to fight. 
The bulk of all the garrison are sound and fast asleep, 
But very sharp and close the watch the men on duty keep ; 
The sentries keep a careful watch, wide open is each eye, 
For close by Carthagena^ walls the plucky rebels lie. 

The city is surrounded and her gateways are not free, 

The city is blockaded well by country and by sea, 

By men who fight for that good cause — the liberty of man. 

The rebels of Colombia, commanded by Gaitan, 

Who with his heavy fighting ships upon the town has laid, 

An awful, hungry, terrible and merciless blockade ; 

So that before his mighty host the ancient town may fall 

And the poor people are half-starved inside the city wall. 

How very dark and dim the night, the seventh night of May. 
But little fighting had there been before the town to-day ; 
The night is very silent now, so very calm and clear. 
That the click of a small rifle from the city we could hear. 
The sentinels are watching close by ocean and by land, 
On Carthagena's ancient walls like soldiers do they stand. 
Each sentinel most closely is hard watching at his post, 
For the assault of brave Gaitan and his insurgent host. 

A very slow and random fire strikes on the city wall, 
Of which the gallant sentinels no notice take at all. 
They are too much accustomed to this tiresome sort of fight, 
So they take little notice of these random shots to-night. 
The solemn hour of one at night has on the world come, 
The bold insurgents go to work, no longer are they dumb : 
From their two fighting vessels which outside the city stand. 
They fire upon the city walls from ocean and from land. 

The rebel bark •* Colombia '• is firing on the town, 
The Union soldiers to destroy and pull the ruler down ; 
To pull the haughty Nunez from his mighty seat of power, 
The rebels of Colombia charge on this awful hour. 
The gallant man-of-war • Gaitan " bombards the town as well, 
With all her missiles small and great, with bullet and with shell; 
While from the camp of Isle de Grand more fire the rebels rain. 
The town is hottly battered from the island and the main. 



113 

The Union soldiers in the town jump madly from their sleep, 
To drive the daring rebels back and shoot them down like sheep ; 
From all the open windows and the portholes in the walls, 
The Union army fire away their great and little balls ; 
The flashes are incessant from the Union muskets fire, 
And through this awful morning long the soldiers never tire; 
They fire into the rebel lines with all their might and power, 
And* thirty thousand musket shots are fired each mortal hour. 

Xo words can tell the grandeur of the rifles'" flashing light ; 
The scene was most terrific in the darkness of the night. 
Each soldier in his turn to the barrack windows came, 
And two hundred rifle flashes were incessantly aflame. 
Out through the barrack windows do the Union soldiers fire, 
And as each soldier has got through with speed does he retire ; 
Another soldier takes his place and fires a musket shot, 
I fear that the poor rebs outside shall find it rather hot. 

The rebel bark and gunboat they are firing shot and shell, 
And each big gun the rebels fire upon the foe must tell ; 
They do not want to scarce the foe, destruction is their game. 
And every shell from these two ships is sent with deadly aim. 
They fire upon the barracks and the soldiers on the walls, 
With steady aim the rebels ply their great and little balls ; 
And from the camp of Isle de Grand the rebs are firing too, 
The Unions may repulse them, but they shall have work to do. 

Two hours have passed since one o'clock, the fire has never ceased, 
From half past one to two o'clock the awful fire increased ; 
From two to three the bloody fight continued much the same, 
Till both sides we imagined should be weary of the game. 
At three o'clock the Union fire commences to get slow, 
Most probably their magazine is getting rather low ; 
The rebel fire is still the same, it is not going down, 
They rain their heavy blazing shells on Carthagena town. 

The rebel fire is steady at a quarter after, three, 

With their small guns from the Island and their big guns from 

the sea; 
The Unions still are firing, but their fire is rather still, 
When all perceive a sudden fire hot blazing on the hill ! 
Below the convent on the hill a bonfire is ablaze, 
Both rebs and Unions cease their fire ; upon it do they gaze. 
On the good ship " Powhatan's " decks we witness all the fight, 
Between the rebs and Unions in the darkness of the night, 

Both armies at the bonfire bright with eager feeling gaze, 



114 

When the great struggle of the night assumes another phase. 
The rebels' lofty castle which was silent all the night, 
Awakes upon an instant and engages in the fight. 
The castle which had been all night as silent as the tomb, 
Now throw her shells within the walls for Carthagena's doom; 
While all the country round about, at that side of the town, 
Is swarming with insurgents fresh to charge the city down. 

They had laid silent here all night, as silent as the grave, 
But silence was their programme, for Gaitan such order gave ; 
They had laid silent two long hours, so silent and so still. 
Until they saw the bonfire by the convent on the hill. 
Eleven hundred rebels fresh fire on the city fast, 
Their bullets with unerring aim within the walls they cast ; 
The flashes of their muskets and the castle's heavy balls, 
Outshine the grandeur of the scene at midnight on the walls. 

The Union soldiers on the wall at the adjacent side, 
Fire hard upon the rebels all and share their bullets wide; 
From wall and field most hotly at each other do they blaze, 
When at another place the fight assumes another phase. 
Two hundred brave insurgents come the city wall beneath, 
Of whom a portion mount the wall and show the foe their teeth ; 
Undauntedly they scale the walls of Carthagena town, 
Regardless of the Union balls hot raining on them down. 

Two hundred rebels mount the wall; the hour is half past three, 
With scaling ladders do they mount from oft the briny sea; 
When they are met on every side by their half -savage foe. 
For two hours in one spot they stand, no further can they go, 
The Unions rained upon them with their small and Gatling guns. 

It was a hot and dreadful hour for this poor nation's sons : 

It was a hot and bloody fight hard by the city wall, 

And noble, brave, courageous men in tens and dozens fall. 

By general Hernandez was this storming party led : 

The gallant rebel general is numbered with the dead : 

And of his gallanfTconipany do thirty men lie low, 

And sixty and a hundred men are captured by the foe. 

The Unions have the best of it ; the rebels they are beat, 

And those who can and know the way make good use of their feet, 

But most of all this noble band were captured on the ground ; 

And are put into prison strong and with hard irons bound. 

A few escape their enemies though barely half alive, 
And safely get aboard their ships, a quarter after five. 
The treble fire continues still from castle, fleet and walls : 



ii5 

The dawn of day finds all at work exchanging leaden balls. 
The gallant bark " Colombia " fought well this awful night, 
And six men of her noble crew are wounded in the fight: 
She is retreating from the scene, the fight is nearly o'er ; 
When one last shot from off the walls knocks down the Commodore, 

The commodore is dying, the commander of the fleet ! 

A shell has blown his shoulder off while leading the retreat. 

He is a true American and Eckert is his name ; 

For fighting skill and courage high exalted is his fame. 

All night upon the bloody deck undaunted had he stood, 

While friends and foes on every side were wallowing in blood; 

And now when danger seemed all past and all the fighting o'er, 

The last big gun from off the walls has killed the commodore! 

Another blessed day has dawned, the sun is shining bright; 
But oh! How many gallant men have fallen through the night'? 
How many noble rebels in the field are lying low? 
From bullets rained upon them by the hungry Union foe? 
And of the haughty Unionists how many did there fall? 
How many bold insurgents have been killed outside the wall? 
We know the gallant general and commodore are dead, 
But where are all the fighting men whom they so nobly led? 

Of nine and twenty hundred rebs engaged in the assault, 
A single soldier in advance was never seen to halt: 
Of nine and twenty hundred rebs engaged in mortal fray, 
But two and twenty hundred answer muster roll to-day : 
Of nine and twenty hundred men are seven hundred missed r 
For there are seven hundred names unanswered on the list. 
It was a fearful loss to them far more than they can spare, 
But men must be prepared to die who such an act will dare. 

The Unions have the victory, the Unions have the day, 

And all hands shall remember well the bloody eighth of May: 

The rebs have been unlucky in their charge upon the town; * 

The Unions from behind their walls have beat the rebels down. 

But the insurgents full of pluck were heroes every one, 

Or right into the lion's mouth they never would have run : 

Their bodies lie outside the walls unburied for a day, 

Until at length their comrades come and bear them all away. 

The Mnions lost but nine men killed, their wounded list was ten, 
And in this cruel bloody fray they are most lucky men ! 
Their strong and firm ramparts' now have stood them in good stead, 
They safely fired behind their walls and laid their foemen dead. 
Two hundred rebs at least were killed, the wounded list was more : 



116 

They lost a gallant general, they lost their commodore. 
And sixty and a hundred men are captured by the wall ; 
Into their foemen's tender hands as prisoners they fall. 

This fight shall shine in history until the judgement day, 
This charge on Carthagena's walls upon the eighth of May : 
From off the ship "Powhatan's" decks we saw the awful fight ; 
The scene was most terrific in the darkness of the night. 
The rebs have had the worst of it, disastrous is the blow 
Which they on Carthagena's walls got from the Union foe : 
But they were born heroes thus to scale that awful wall ; 
A pity that in civil war such gallant men should fall. - 



THE SIEGE IS RAISED. 



The rebs are beaten in the fray, 
They lost it on the eighth of May ; 
They now are in a weakened state, 
Though they deserved a better 

fate: 
Three hundred heroes sleep in 

gore: 
They shall not face the city more : 
They will evacuate the shore. 



The siege is raised, the town is 

free, 
On every side, by land and sea : 
The rebels will no longer stay, 
Upon their ships they sail away, 
On Thursday the fourteenth of 

May. 



CAPTURE OF THE REBEL MAN-OF-WAR 

COMMANCHO" BY THE U. S. S. "POWHATAN," 
(May 13th, 1885) 



It is the Thirteenth day of May, 
A ship is burning in the bay, 
She is an English schooner, too, 
The English flag she lately flew, 
Three weeks ago when she came 

here, 
When she lay by the city near, 
With good provisions for the 

town, 
Until the rebs came on her down ; 
It was an unsuccessful trip ; 
The rebels took the bonnie ship : 
They captured her outside the 

town, 
And pulled the English banner 

down, 



And towed her off from where 

she lay, 
To their own village down the 

bay. 

To the poor Unions' bitter woe 
Their food was taken by the foe ; 
The bread, the coffee and the beef, 
Which had come for the town's 

relief, 
Is taken from before their eyes, 
And has become the rebels' prize. 
The rebels are retreating now, 
But this food they will not allow 
In their foemen's hands to fall; 
They would prefer to burn all 



117 



Ere from the Unions they retreat. 
And leave their foes no food to 

eat, 
No bread, no coffee nor no meat. 

It is the Thirteenth day of May, 
The sun is shining bright and gay ; 
A rebel gunboat comes beside 
The English schooner on the tide. 
Upon her deck some rebels go, 
And in her hold some fire they 

throw, 
A.nd then they quickly steam 

away 
From where the luckless schooner 

lay; 
The schooner now is in a blaze, 
The Yankee sailors on her gaze. 

An armed boat our Captain sends 
To meet his cool insurgent friends, 
Who now are steaming by with 

speed, 
But his salute they have to heed, 
For on our deck two surly guns 
Are pointed at Granada's sons. 

The haughty rebels waive their 

pride, 
And the "Powhatan" come 

beside ; 
They have good sense enough to 

know 
That 'twould not do to make a foe 
Of the "Powhatan's" captain 

now, 
That they would lose in such a 

row, 
And so they hang their native 

pride, 
And to our booms their ship is 

tied. 
" Commancho " is the rebel's 

name, 
And very great and high her 

fame, 



Since she to Carthagena came, 
She has fought gallantly and well, 
With musket, bullet, ball and 

shell ; 
Bat on sweet Carthagena bay, 
She is a captured ship to-day, 
This fatal Thirteenth day of May. 

The captain of the gallant crew, 
Who did this fearful burning do, 
And four of his companions, too, 
An effort make to get away, 
From where their ship a captive 

lay, 
And to escape across the bay ; 
Into a small boat do they get, 
And to their oars at once they set, 
Which movement took our cap- 
tain's eye, 
No use on him such a move to 

try; 
To these wild children of the 

south 
He showed at once a cannon's 
mouth; 

Oar captain tells the rebel bold 

That the "Commancho" he must 
hold, 

With him and all his fighting 
crew, 

His gallant rebels brave and true, 

In custody where now they lay, . 

Until to Carthagena bay, 

The first great English man-of- 
war 

Comes hither from Jamaica far ; 

When to the English captain 
they 

Will be surrendered on that day. 

They are surrendered to John 
Bull, 

Who quicklv hears the case in 
full; 

The schooner's papers does he see : 

He gives the rebs their liberty. 



118 

Pare well to garthagena. 

(Mat 17 th, 1885.) 
Farewell Garthagena ! Farewell to thy shore ! 
We shall never again see thy battlements more ; 
Farewell, sweetest town of the blue Spanish main, 
We shall never again see thy ramparts again. 
Farewell, sweetest town of the fair Indian sea; 
We bid our farewell— Carthagena to thee. 
Farewell to thy churches, thy barracks and walls, 
And the deadly reports of thy bullets and balls ; 
Farewell to the heroes, who held by the town — 
When the gallant insurgents assaulted them down. 
Farewell to the officers, privates and all; 
Who beat the insurgents away from the wall ; 
Farewell to all ranks, of the gallant and brave, 
Who are now lying low and at rest in the grave. 
Farewell to the Convent, the Castle and hill, 
We fancy the rebs are hot firing there still ; 
Farewell gallant rebels, like heroes you fought; 
In the front of the ramparts you died as men ought. 
You died in the field with your face to the foe : 
Farewell to the braves, who are fallen and low; 
Farewell to the .chiefs, who the awful charge led ; 
Farewell to the living, farewell to the dead. 

BOUND FOR KEY .WEST. 



The war is over now at last, 
The heavy fighting all is past ; 
The rebel fleet has sailed away — 
From lovely Carthagena bay ; 
For three days longer did we 

stay, 
And then our anchor do we raise, 
At town and forts again we gaze ; 
From Carthagena do we flee — 
Our noble ship goes out to sea. 
We pass our flagship on the way, 
On Carthagena's lovely bay ; 
It is the seventeeth of May. 

And only one is sore or sad ; 
He is not happy or at rest; 
He does Hot care to see Key 
West. 



He is unhappy in the mind, 
And is a captive close confined, 
And with a heavy string is tied ; 
Which has nigh crushed his 

native pride. 
He is held by a heavy chain ; 
Our captive friend, is "Mister 

Kane." 
We are eight days and nights at 

sea; 
From Carthagena's bullets free ; 
Bound for the land of liberty, 
Bound for a land that has no 

slaves, 
And proudly do we mount the 

waves, 
For sweet Key West is close at 

hand. 



119 



KEY 

(Entered on Mat 25th 

We drop our anchor here and rest, 

We're in the harbor of Key West, 

We have been five long months 

at sea, 
And all are anxious to be free. 
Though many countries we have 

seen, 
Ashore on leave we have not been ; 
,Tis time to break our quarantine. 
The ship is coaled, we leave the 

quay, 
We are again upon the bay, 
Where safe at anchor do we lay. 
We anchor by Fort Taylor near, 
For further orders we wait here ; 
To Brooklyn we expect to go, 
Or if not there to Norfolk, so, 
But we get liberty at least, 
When hope of it was nearly past. 
We all rejoiced; it was a boon; 
It was I think the fourth of June. 
One-half the men aboard the ship, 
Got leave ashore to have a trip, 
Enjoy themselves and have a 

blow, 
For four and twenty hours or so, 
And then the other half could go. 



WEST, 

AND LEFT ON JUNE ?TH.) 

All hands are back aboard the 

ship, 
The better of their pleasure trip ; 
They all are sober, sound and 

hale, 
The boat which brings them has 

the mail. 
In which are orders for our ship, 
To take another ocean trip ; 
The ocean waves again to skip. 
To-morrow morning without fail, 
For sweet New York we are to 

sail, 
Most welcome is the morning 

mail. 

All hands rejoice to hear the 

news, 
Both soldiers, officers and blues; 
We all are going home at last, 
Our cruise is over now and past. 
In coal and bread our ship is 

found, 
For Brooklyn City we are bound. 
The ship may go no more to sea, 
And then the crew will all be 

free. 



HOMEWARD BOUND. 
THE STORM. 
Our noble ship is bound for home, Such rain we never saw before, 



No more the Spanish main to 

roam ; 
For New York City we are bound, 
No more to sail the world round. 
We soon shall see the Jersey 

shore, 
Perhaps to go to sea no more. 
It is our third night on the deep; 
One half the crew is sound asleep : 
We are one hundred miles from 

shore ; 
A heavy rain begins to pour, 



Upon the bosom of the main. 
We meet this awful fall of rain, 
Down, down the hatches does it 

run; 
By Jove, we can't enjoy this fun. 
The hatchways soon are covered 

well, 
No more upon the berthdeck fell, 
But on the spardeck what a sight, 
Did all hands witness through 

the night, 
All hands were wet as wet could be 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



120 



016 114 794 1 



Throughout this long and fearful But now the wind is getting low, 

night, And on our course again we go: 

The lightning's fearful flash of The heavy sea is going down — 

light We steam away for Brooklyn 
Was ev'ry moment to be seen town ; 

By each brave sailor and marine ; That we are near, we know right 
The rain continued all next day, well; 

Our close companion it would The very water, we can tell, 

stav, And Coney Island we can smell, 

There was no dry spot on the The hearts of all are full of joy, 

deck, Each sailor, soldier, man and boy. 

For sleepy man to lay his neck ; It is the thirteenth day of June, 

Again on the succeediug night, And glorious is the afternoon. 
With heavy rain we had to fight; 

It raises rust on Jacko's chain, All, all are glad to see the shore, 

In temper bad is Mister Kane ! And vow to go to sea no more, 



NEW YORK HARBOR.— {Conclusion.) 

With what joy do we gaze on Manhattan once more, 

And on sweet Staten Island's magnificent shore : 

And on gay Coney Island, so fresh and so green ; 

There is not on the earth so enchanting a scene. 

See the lovely green shores on our ship's noble beams, 

Could we fancy such scene in our wildest of dreams ; 

As the beautiful view now exposed to the eye : 

The sweetest and fairest beneath the blue sky. 

In the midst of a scene; the most lovelv are we — 

New York's mighty town in the distance we see ; 

We are on the gay Hudson, so broad and so blue ; 

How welcome the sight to our noble ship's crew. 

The green shores of Jersey, our longing eyes meet; 

Could we dream of a scene more enchantingly sweet 

Than the landscape exposed to our wondering gaze ; ' ] 

Are we in our right senses or lost in amaze ? 

Our cruising is finished; our toiling is over, 

And we gaze in delight on Manhattan's sweet shore; 

To the Navy Yard up in two days we shall go, 

For a general furlough all hands have a show. 

There are good times in store for our soldiers and blues, 

Oh the Bow'ry next week we can all have a cruise; 

We can cruise through New York from all discipline free, 

And forget all the dangers of storm or the sea. 




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